Reason to live
by PhantasyWriter
Summary: A teen dies trying to escape the Apeiron project, a cruel human experiment to artificially create the most powerful male in the world, but is forcibly saved by Shinonono Tabane by fusing with an IS core. With genetic augmentations, and no memory of his family or his past life, the teen attends the IS academy in hopes of finding his reason to live. RomCom, drama.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I don't like long author's notes, so I'll try and keep it short, but I have to mention a few things.**

 **This story was influenced by Stuckshocker777's** **Cyber Wolf** **and Kurasabe's** **IS: The Fusion** **, so shoutouts to them. You will see similarities, but the story itself will be completely different.**

 **Also, if you want to take this story and do a continuation or whatever, that's totally fine with me; go knock yourselves out.**

 **This is** **NOT** **a self-insertion story; the MC of this story is based off another MC from a different anime (he will be OOC), and I'll mention this later in an 'A/N' because I don't want to spoil it. This story is about 90% canon and finally, all the illustrations you see on this fanfiction are not mine (cover image too); all credits to their respective creators. Rated T for mild violence. I'll shut up now.**

 **=Perspective Change= - 1st person/3rd person shift**

* * *

 **Prologue**

This is the tragic story of the boy without a heart.

There once was a boy who was different from the rest of the children of his age. He simply lacked the heart to take in the emotions of others and understand them. But the absence of a heart allowed him to notice things that other people wouldn't.

While all the children would play merrily in the playground, the boy would just stare at them blankly, wondering why. Why do they look so happy? Unable resist his curiosity, he went over to the group of children to play, but for some reason, the happy looks on their faces seemed almost fake. He noticed the difference right away and wondered; why? Why did their smiles seem like they told lies? There was something sinister about those smiles that perturbed the boy greatly. With questions clouding his mind, he went home.

The boy couldn't take his mind off of the fake smiles and the unsettling faces the children had towards him. So he went to ask his parents. He could hear their voices coming from the kitchen, but through the slightly opened door, he peeked in and saw that his parents had the same happy expression as the children did in the playground. Why do they look so happy without me, he wondered. Will they have the same expression if I went? Can I bring out their smile and happiness?

His parents turned around with a warm expression and gave the boy a hug. But the boy's face remained still and watched them silently. There it was again. The smile seemed almost fake. A face full of lies. A mask. Something he couldn't understand. Why were they wearing a mask? Because they were pretty? Because they were convenient? Or to hide something behind it?

Confused and disoriented, the boy left his house, and wandered the streets. Lost in his deep thought, he failed to notice a car driving towards him from the corner. The driver panicked and tried to stop the car, but it was too late.

He didn't feel anything, but he noticed he was on the ground, staring into the sky. His vision shook and began to dim. A crowd of people were looking at his unmoving figure, gathered like a circle of reapers. They had looks of pity, sadness and concern.

But the boy knew, "Why are you all wearing masks?"

Those were his final words as his breath gave out. It was that moment when the boy realized; it was all just a mask play. They were all trying to act like someone they were not. Knowing that, he smiled, slightly in relief. Little did he know, it was all an act to maintain their outward appearance, a façade.

The world we live in is filled with hypocrisy and lies. We often have issues that we do not particularly like dealing with and we simply end up turning a blind eye towards it. We do it not because we want to; we do it because society tells us to. But hypocrisy and lies don't necessarily have to be bad; they are what makes us human; intelligent and cunning. Sometimes, we have to lie in order to protect someone or something. It's all just a matter of intention.

From that day on, the victim of this tragic accident was named as the boy without a heart and the tragedy was soon forgotten as time moved forward...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Infinite Stratos, IS in short; they are the greatest piece of military prowess ever invented since the beginning of man. A young prodigy by the name, Shinonono Tabane, would shake the world with the discovery of these mass weapons of destruction by the late 21st century.

With the original purpose of space exploration, these complex exoskeletons were adapted for combat and were fitted with the most advanced weapon systems up-to-date, so great that it was threatening to disrupt the stability of the world.

Thus, enter the Alaska Treaty. The agreement of never using the IS for military combat and all existing IS technology would be distributed equally around the world to prevent the domination of a country over another.

The introduction of IS to humans also affected the power balance between men and women. How so? Unexpected to the inventor herself, only females were able to activate the exoskeletons. Thus, it was only a matter of time for women to quickly overpower men through their combat prowess using the IS. Nevertheless, society functioned rather well, remaining rather stable and peaceful. Though, that is to say, things were peaceful only in peaceful places. Unknown to many others, there are mischiefs happening all around the world.

Especially, in the dark corner of Japan, in an isolated street, there was a boy in the confinements of an abandoned laboratory.

* * *

 ** _Infinite_ _Stratos_**

* * *

All I heard were the ambient sounds of a lab. Not one of those legalized R&D institution laboratories, but the shady ones with questionable morals.

I was restrained on a surgical bed with metal chains tightly wrapped around my wrists and ankles. I could slightly bend from my position to look down at the condition of my body, and it was plain disturbing. With only boxers on, I could see uncountable number of scars around my chest and abdomen from all the experiments that were done to me.

I heard a scream of a young man coming from the room next to mine, and at that instance, fear grasped my existence. Panic crept from the dark corners of my mind imagining what this insane scientist would do to my body this time. I had to get out. Quickly.

I violently tried to force my way out of the wrist chains, but the metal only sunk into my skin, letting out blood. It was the same result with my ankles as well. The pain and what little energy I had left made it seem hopeless. Then, to my despair, the door to my room opened and a number of men in surgical suits walked in.

"… I told you he'd die if you do that! Tch! What a waste of a good test subject."

"Nothing can be done about that. We still have our last test subject. We can retrieve more later."

"Enough with the chatter. Let's begin the 27th experiment."

I saw one of them take out a motor surgical saw. My eyes widened in fear and I attempted at trying to break myself free of the bloody chains.

"Hold him down." One ordered.

Soon enough, my legs, and my arms were pressed down against the bed, and I could only watch the saw approach my chest slowly.

I let out a blood chilling scream, my legs and arms shaking violently in their grasp. I was in hell. Why did I have to be in a bloody lab like this? Why was I even born? If this is what life was, it was just unbearable.

I had no memory up until this point in time; I didn't know my name, my family, my friends, my age; nothing. How the hell did I even get here? All I remember is being kidnapped by a bunch of shady people and the fact that I was in this terrible lab for nearly 10 years. From what I heard from these scientists, the purpose of the experiment was to create an artificially powerful male who can surpass the speed, strength, and perception of a normal human being. The experiment had a despicable name; the Apeiron project, or the limitless project.

I didn't care. I just didn't want to live anymore. But my sole thought at the moment was to drag these people down with me along with this place.

I reopened my eyes after a few hours and I could feel my head pulsating painfully. My vision was blurry, and felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down; there was a huge horizontal cut stretching from one end of my chest across to the other. It had just been stitched up. It was a disgusting sight, but I was used to it, and that fact made me sick.

But all other thoughts aside, this was my chance. I wasn't going to last anymore. One more operation, and I was either going to die or go insane. I had to at least kill one of them before I kick the bucket.

I looked around for anything useful, but then again, I was in a room with only a surgical bed and an overhead lighting in the middle of an empty room.

Coincidently, I saw something flash in the corner of my eyes. I immediately traced my eyes down to the source and found a surgical knife resting few centimeters from my right hand. It seemed that the scientists carelessly left a knife behind after they had finished with me. A chance like this was never going to come again. With all my might, with the chain digging further into my skin, I reached for the knife.

With the knife in hand, I weakly poked at the keyhole of my wrist chain.

 _'Cmon, cmon, cmon!'_ I begged a number of times, stabbing the knife into the keyhole.

 **Click**

My face brightened at the miraculous sound and felt my arm droop down from the restraint. My right arm was free. However, there was no time to rejoice, I had to quickly do the other side and the same for my ankles.

It took awhile for me to get the rest of them off, but I managed to unlock myself out of the chains that kept me bound onto the surgical bed.

 **Click**

 **Click**

 **Click**

I sat up from the bed and tried to stand up, but almost collapsed if it weren't for the bed. I was weak and in pain, I was barely walking. I had to be careful, the scientists may be asleep or doing something else. It was best to believe that I didn't have much time. I thanked for the fact that the light was on, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see anything in the windowless room.

I saw a valve in the corner of the room with the red handle perpendicular to the valve itself.

 _'The gas!'_

I dragged my way towards it and turned the handle and aligned it with the direction of the valve. I heard the satisfying noise of gas flowing into the room and smelled the gasoline begin to fill the room. It wasn't enough. I had to destroy the whole building. I quickly made my way to the other rooms and did the same. Room to room, there were several gas valves, which were all opened by me as I left.

But as expected, moving around in this condition did a toll on my body, and the cut on my chest reopened and started to bleed. Blood dripped as I walked and made a trail behind me.

 _'This is bad… I need to turn a few more valves and…'_

I cursed under my breath and tried to ignore the pain, but it was too much. I stumbled onto a table in one of the rooms and knocked some bottles down and shattered as they fell onto the floor.

 _'Shit. They probably heard that.'_

I quickly pulled myself up on my feet and looked around for another valve. I saw rows of valves on a wall in the corner of the room, I sluggishly made my way to them and opened all of them. Then on the table just beside me, I saw a bunch of needles lying around with a clear substance inside it. I grabbed one of them and examined it and saw a name tag that read,

 **"Morphine"**

I knew what this was. It was a strong analgesic that relieved extreme pain. Just what I needed. I stabbed one into the side of my arm and injected the substance in. The feeling was addicting. The pain in my body felt like it was being washed away by something warm invading my blood system; I felt almost revived.

I took a couple in my hands and quickly walked out of the room and into the long hallway.

Then a loud voice came from a distance in front of me,

"An escaped test subject! Kill him!"

Next thing I noticed was sound of gunfire. I fell on my knees after the first couple of shots, but I scrambled onto my feet and ran left and right through the long hallway, dodging the hail of bullets the best I can. I heard the terrifying sound of the bullets whizzing past my ears, sometimes grazing past them. With the morphine under effect, I ran towards where I came from in an attempt to lure them back to where the gas should have accumulated the most.

However, I wasn't lucky enough to dodge all the bullets. One embedded itself into my thigh, three on my right shoulder, and two in my lower back. I coughed out blood and collapsed onto my knees. My right arm went limp and dropped the morphine shots next to me.

I gritted my teeth in rage and determination,

 _'N-Not yet! Can't die just yet!'_

I picked up a shot of morphine with my left, and stabbed my limp arm with the needle and injected the contents in. Not enough. I took the second needle and stabbed it in again. I could feel my heart pumping at a dangerously low rate, almost to the point where it felt like it would stop at any second. With clenched teeth and my left hand grasping my heart, I ran. At the near end of the hall, I saw an exit sign leading to the outside. The sound of the men after me followed behind me, but I didn't care. They were exactly where I wanted them to be. I stopped running and turned around, I saw them running out of the corner.

"There he is! Kill him before he gets out!" they raised their pistols to shoot, but I only stood still with a grin,

"Burn in hell, you sick bastards."

I instantly jumped for the exit door, and the moment the hammer of their pistols fell, the small spark ignited the gas that filled the whole floor and exploded with a great eruption of flames. I was sent flying out of the building and fell onto the concrete floor with a splash as I landed heavily on a puddle.

It was raining heavily, and I was lying on my chest in the middle of an isolated street. There was no one outside but me. I flipped my body around with what remaining strength I had left and stared at the run down building I was in. It was now nothing more than a pile of rubble on fire. But the rain was effectively snuffing it out.

The stinging pain returned on my chest, legs, shoulder and back. The effects of the morphine must have worn off. I looked down briefly at my body and saw that my right arm and left leg had burnt completely black.

I let my head fall back onto the floor and just lay there staring at the rainy sky with blank, worn-out eyes,

"I-It's finally over…"

My hair was getting wet with cold rain water, and I felt cleansed as each droplet of water washed off the stains of blood on my body. I was becoming sleepy, despite all that chaos earlier. I closed my eyes slowly with a small peaceful smile on my face.

Just when I was about to fall asleep, I barely managed to make out the sound of plopping footsteps in the distance. I faintly opened one of my eyes and saw a figure with an umbrella loom over me. It appeared to be a young woman with long purple hair and something sticking out of her head. Animal ears?

I assumed she was one of the experimenters. I mentally scoffed at her,

 _'Heh. You're too late… Your lab's gone. Your research, your men, even your last test subject is going to die off. Serves you right…'_

I closed my eyes once again, and let the darkness take over.

* * *

 ** _Infinite_ _Stratos_**

* * *

 **Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…**

The heart monitor let out sounds of my heartbeat rhythmically. Then, I heard voices, but they were mostly faint to my ears.

"… severe third degree burns to his right arm and left leg… the nerve endings are completely destroyed. We need to amputate them before necrosis occurs."

"Also detected foreign substances in his blood samples. Traces of morphine, nano crystals, and other strange drugs that we've never seen before…"

"Several cuts to his stomach and chest area."

"There are also excessive remains of methamphetamine in his blood system. It's destroyed 90% of neurons in his hippocampus."

"His memory processing catalysts are destroyed."

 **Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…**

"… he's losing too much blood. He's not going to make it!"

"Heart monitor's not showing any response!"

I could barely hear the sound of the defibrillator charging up.

"Administering 150 joules in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

"Clear!"

 **Thud**

I could feel my limp body flap at the powerful shock.

"Still no readings on the monitor! It's not working!"

"200 joules in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

"Clear!"

 **Thud**

 **Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…**

The surgeons shook their heads gravely as if there was no hope.

From a slither of my consciousness, I could hear the surprised voices of the surgeons,

"Sh-Shinonono-sensei?"

 _'Shino…?'_ I repeated in my mind.

"We did the best we could… But…"

Then, momentarily, my mind went blank. I couldn't make out what this new person was saying. It was the same purple haired girl with the weird things sticking out of her head.

 _'Ah… I remember her… She was there…'_ I trailed off, but everything went white.

I could feel it. I was on the edge of life, flirting with death itself, barely holding onto what little existence I had left of me.

My vision was blurry to the point where I couldn't even make out any of their faces from a few meters away. But I focused my vision on one thing that the girl was carrying. It was a round rock-like object that glowed mysteriously. It couldn't be natural. The glow on it let out a mysterious aura and I could sense it even in my near-death state. The object was almost calling out for me.

The surgeons seemed to be arguing but appeared to have come to a mutual agreement.

"Commencing core implant and removal of vital organs…"

* * *

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

* * *

"…ter!"

…

"…aster!"

…

"Master!"

I heard a young girl's voice in my head. It was a rather annoying voice and I wanted to just ignore it.

"I said Master! Stop ignoring me! Wake up! UP! UP!"

I snapped upright with a tick on my forehead and yelled comically,

"Shut up, you annoying little-"

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different dimension. Everything was dark, including the background, the floor, the sky. I could make out some structures but they were made of several complex green codes, almost like I was in the matrix. I turned my head to see free falling codes with some static sounds.

Then I heard the same annoying voice from earlier,

"Finally. I thought you were going to just stay there like a dead log. I was getting so bored."

Just behind me, a girl materialized from nowhere. If there was one word to describe her, it would be blue. Her pigtail hair, blue, and her eyes, teal, but her skin, pale as snow. She wore a blue jumper too big for her size and a dangerously short black skirt. Her stockings covered most of her legs, but when my eyes trailed down, I didn't see her foot. It was pixelated and she simply floated around like a spirit. She was the height of an average teen, but still kind of looked short, from my perspective. **(A/N: Takane Enomoto from Mekaku City Actors)**

"Will you stop staring at me, pervert." She said, her expression slightly turning into an annoyed glare.

I snapped out of my daze and brought my hand to my forehead in pain.

"I must be dreaming." I said to myself as I fell back onto the floor and closed my eyes firmly.

Then I felt something heavy fall on my stomach. With a temple bulging, I opened one of my eyes and glared at the entity sitting on my stomach, staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"Wake up, you lazy punk." She said in a tone that pissed me off a bit.

"Ahng?!"

"I said wake up. Only punks like you can growl like that."

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"

I saw the girl smirk proudly to herself,

"Hmph! Seems like my master's finally interested in knowing who I am!"

"Mm… No, not really."

"Oi!" The girl retorted comically with a tick mark.

I shoved the girl off of my stomach and stood up. The girl simply floated next to me and watched as I got up.

"So? Who're you? And where am I?" I asked as I looked around the mysterious dimension.

"I don't know if master remembers, but I'm an AI built into your core. My purpose is to serve you. And you're in my home, the central processing unit."

I shook my head and stared at her as if she was crazy.

"Artificial Intelligence? My core?"

I hadn't a single idea what she was talking about. I understood that she was a computer, but what did that have to do with me?

As if the girl read what was on my mind, she pointed towards my chest. I followed the direction of her finger down to my chest and saw a large metal plate covering the left side where the heart was. It was slim and didn't bulge out. It also fitted proportionally to my body and so it wouldn't stick out over a shirt, but still, there was a piece of metal in my damn body.

My eyes widened and my hand slowly approached the metal while shuttering in shock.

The instant my hand made contact with the metal, the metal slightly glowed blue and codes slid across the surface of the metal piece like a T.V. screen. Then there was a robotic voice,

 **"DNA recognition complete. Access granted."**

Then, a few mechanical sounds resounded from the metal piece, and then it split into two and opened. Then I saw it. There was a spherical protective casing, and inside it, there was a strange glowing stone. Its shine let out a mysterious aura and it felt oddly familiar.

I've seen this stone before. But where?

Then it struck me.

 ** _"Commencing core implant and removal of vital organs"_**

Those words hit me like a hammer and I felt rage rile up within me. I quickly turned around and glared at the girl, keeping my distance.

"What the hell did you sick bastards do to me?!"

I saw the girl slightly jump at my sudden outburst, and she was right to. I let out such a killing intent that it even scared myself.

Finding her composure, she raised her hands innocently,

"Calm down, master. I didn't do anything to you. You see, I'm just an AI. It was my creator's idea anyway."

"And who is that?"

"Shinonono Tabane."

That name. Shinonono. I recognized it. I heard one of the operators address her, and she was the one with the stone thing in her hand. It had a terrible ring to it. _Shinonono Tabane_. I hated it already.

The girl suddenly spoke up,

"Listen, it seems like you're misunderstanding something. Tabane saved you."

That's right. I remembered. I was on the brink of death. I remember closing my eyes for the last time peacefully, wanting to depart the living world.

"Save me? Just so that she can experiment on my body?!"

"Just calm do-"

"Just calm down? Does that really come out of your mouth?! I'm done. I'm done with you sick people! Get me out of here!"

"Master, wait-"

I turned around with a cold glare,

"I'm not your master. Get out of my face."

The girl's eyes widened when I said the words, and I was kind of surprised by her reaction. I expected her to scoff, but she seemed rather shocked. In the next second, the world around me started to collapse and disappear, and then a bright light blinded me.

When the brightness subsided from my vision, I could see a flat wooden roof. The wind was blowing in from the outside. I slowly sat up and looked around. I was in a traditional Japanese style room, with the tatami floor, the shoji sliding door and everything. I was also lying down on a futon.

 _'Where am I…?'_

I brought my left hand in front of me and clenched my fist and released. My nerves were intact it seemed. I was oddly alive.

Then I remembered the dream. A young blue girl, the matrix world, my chest, the core. I slowly looked down to confirm my fears. It was there. I had a black sleeveless shirt, but I saw what was under it. There was the same piece of metal embedded into my left chest. But that wasn't it. I also saw some wires in my right shoulder. I followed the direction of the wire and saw a slick black metal arm. My right arm. I reached out to touch it with my left and felt the coldness of the metal stinging my senses. I closed my right hand into a fist and reopened and the metal hand responded in sync with my senses. It was truly a bizarre feeling. My eyes also trailed down to my left leg. Just like my arm, it was made of the same slick black metal and also moved in sync with my brain.

There's no way. This isn't happening. Not only was I forcefully revived; I had pieces of metal stuck all over my body.

Then, a girl's voice resounded in my mind,

 _'Wait! Please listen to what I have to say!'_

It was the voice of the blue girl that I met in my dream world or something. But I ignored her; I didn't want anything to do with her. She was simply a security system to preserve me as a useful test subject, I presumed. The thought disgusted me.

I hesitated for a second. But I gathered my resolve and placed my hand on the metal chest after I ripped off my shirt.

As if the AI had noticed my intent, she cried out in despair,

 _"No, don't do it!"_

 **"DNA recognition complete. Access granted."**

The metal piece opened with a few machinery sounds in my chest.

I grabbed the spherical core viciously with my cold metal hands and attempted to rip it out.

 **"Warning. Warning. Manual core removal in progress."**

"Arggh… Ahhh!"

The core itself refused to come out and there were occasional electric shocks to my whole body, which were excruciatingly painful. I could see sparks and the strands of electricity snaking around my metal limbs. That was to be expected. I was essentially ripping out what was now my heart. I coughed out some blood and let go of the core. I panted for a few seconds until the pain subsided.

 _"P-Please, just stop! I beg you! You'll really kill yourself!"_

I didn't listen. I saw a small table just left of me, and on it, there were tools such as wrench, nuts and bolts lying around, but I eyed the 8-inch screwdriver.

I took the screwdriver by my hands and pulled it out in front of me, the pointy side of it pointing directly at my core.

I gritted my teeth in frustration,

 _'I won't go back to being a lab rat! I won't let you have your way!'_

I screamed, and almost in unison, the AI also screamed in my head in despair. Using all my strength, I tried to drive the screwdriver straight into my core, but from the corner of my eyes, there was a flash. An orange object flew into my hands and knocked the screwdriver away a few good meters. I fell on my back, startled, and saw a carrot lying next to me.

"Carrot?"

"Now, now. Good boys don't play around with dangerous things like those!" It was a rather childish scold coming from a girl with a child-like voice.

But my eyes widened when I saw the girl walking into the room. Long purple hair, strange pair of animal ears.

I screamed in unrestrained rage the despicable name that remained carved into my no-longer-existent heart.

"SHINONONO!"

I ran straight for her, knocking the table over, scattering all the tools onto the tatami. I pinned the girl onto a wall behind her with my arm against the top of her chest. I growled with all the hatred and ferocity in me and glared straight into her half-open lazy eyes. I looked over her attire and it was a blue and white dress almost straight out of Alice in Wonderland. It was akin to a maid's outfit but it was too revealing to be one. This person had to be crazy. Experimenting on people with that kind of get-up. Revolting.

I expected the girl to beg for her life and mercy pathetically, but she was smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"Aww… Look what you did to my room… I gotta clean this mess now."

She pouted which confused me a lot. She was really crazy. I pulled my metal arm back for a punch, but for a second, she disappeared from where I was pinning her. In the next moment, the girl grabbed my body, and judo flipped me. My back crashed against the tatami floor. Such ridiculous force from a girl who was much shorter than me was beyond me. I tried to get up, but no part of my body moved, and my muscles screamed in pain.

I tried to throw out curse words towards the vile villain, but they came out as bloody coughs.

Shinonono Tabane pretended to wipe a bit of sweat off her brows,

"Phew! That was scary~!"

I watched her walk up next to me and then sit on top of my stomach.

I coughed out and struggled to breath slightly with the weight on top of me,

"G-Get the hell off me, you crazy hellion!"

"I don't wanna! You're going to try and hit me again! I'm scared~!" She refused childishly, her smile still etched onto her face.

I only groaned and struggled to pull myself out of her weight.

Shinonono then nonchalantly pointed at my open core,

"You shouldn't keep something so precious open like that, or you'll get hurt~"

She placed her hand on the metal and the machine accepted her.

 **"DNA recognition complete. Access granted. Shinonono Tabane."**

The metal piece slowly closed itself and soon enough, my core was covered once again.

But then, she added,

"Apply special Taba-chan lock!"

"What-"

I heard a few machinery sounds and a lock sound.

 **Clank**

"All done! It's the last IS in the whole world. It would be a shame if it broke~!"

I winced slightly in pain when the lock clicked in my chest.

"What did you do to me?!" I demanded in a low voice.

"That core inside you is the 467th, the last IS core, that's been sitting in my lab collecting dust. It was meant for testing purposes, but I made some customization just for fun!"

"IS…?"

"Mmhmm! IS."

I stared at her blankly at the name. She noticed that I didn't know what it was, so she peered in closer to my face. I quickly looked away before her face came too close.

"Hmmm? You don't know what an IS is?"

There was silence.

Then, Shinonono erupted into a very strange laughter,

"Nyahahahaha! Well, let's just call it the armor of awesomeness created by genius me, Shinonono Tabane."

This conversation was going nowhere.

I spat out with a venomous tone,

"Go kill yourself… You filthy animal."

To my utter disbelief, her expression brightened and she smiled blissfully,

"You noticed my bunny ears? Wow you're the first to notice them, thank you!"

"You're crazy."

"Say, why do you hate us scientists so much?" she ignored my bitter statement. She still had her unnerving smile, but her tone was slightly more serious.

"You people have no heart. You use live people for the cruelest experiments and have no problem torturing us to death."

"But that's not what all scientists do."

"Don't make me laugh. You're probably the same. Forcing me to live just so that you can experiment on me."

"That's not true." Her lazy half-open eyes opened fully to reveal a pair of magenta staring intently into mine.

Maybe I was surprised by her sudden serious tone, but it started to sound genuine. She slammed both her palms onto the tatami floor just next to my head and she leaned in even closer. I felt uncomfortable under her heavy gaze.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Since you're the first ever human/IS cyborg, I may do some tests here and there, but I promise, I will take care of you well."

I felt the words sink into my chest warmly. It felt like it was the first time anyone showed me such kindness and warmth in my life. As much as I knew, it could very well be the first time because I didn't know anything about my past yet.

But I wasn't going to fall for that. I was far from those naïve brats out there.

"I saw you there, near the building where I escaped from. How do you expect me to trust you?"

Her face remained where it was and her serious expression didn't change.

"I was testing out the flight module of an IS, and I happened to see an explosion nearby. When I went to check, I saw you. Lying on the street, half-dead. You were covered in cuts, bullet wounds and some of your limbs were burnt to a crisp. I couldn't just leave you to die all alone."

I saw a bit of sadness flash in her eyes. Maybe it was just my imagination.

She added,

"When I looked over your biology, I could tell that you and I were similar. Your body… every cell in your body is over-doped with chemicals. Your strength and senses are beyond that of a normal human's… I… my cells are modified in a way that surpasses a normal human being similar to you. But you seemed to have gone through a terrible experience judging by the state of your body…"

My frown deepened and my eye slightly twitched at the reminder.

"But I want you to know, I am not like the ones that did this to you. Please, trust me."

She ended with a look of hurt and concern.

I didn't know if I fully trusted this person. But somewhere inside me wanted to. Of course I wanted someone who I can trust from the bottom of my heart, though I didn't have one anymore. But for now…

"Tch… Get off me."

Having a small portion of my strength return, I shoved the girl off of my stomach, making her fall on her back from the loss of balance.

"Nyoo! That hurt…"

Her childish word choice and demeanor had returned quickly making the conversation earlier seem almost non-existent.

I stood up and dusted myself off. Not quite knowing what to do, I looked around blankly, taking in the surrounding. I noticed it was daytime, maybe in the afternoon.

In the midst of me thinking, Shinonono slithered up behind me playfully,

"Now that that's sorted, shall I show you what your core REALLY does?"

It was an interesting offer, and I would take up on it later, but now, I needed to do something first.

"No. Maybe later. But leave me alone for awhile…"

I was essentially telling her to leave.

"Pooh pooh! But this is my room!" she pouted. It was ridiculously childish. A fully-grown girl with a figure like that making that kind of speech... Was she trying to be cute…?

"Just go somewhere else!" I said with a comical tick on my forehead.

I could see her making more effort into pouting this time, puffing her cheeks out. But fortunately, she left the room, closing the shoji door behind her.

I sighed in relief. Finally, at peace.

Or not. The shoji door then suddenly slid open, and Shinonono stuck her head out with a large smile.

"Oh! I'll get some tea, so wait just a minute!"

A wrench flew through the air and hit her directly on the forehead.

"Nyoo!" she fell and landed on her back comically.

"Leave for goodness sakes!" I shouted with shark teeth and slammed the shoji door shut.

"Owowow… Still didn't have to do that…" she said in mock sorrow from behind the shoji door. I ignored, of course.

I sighed again and went over to the futon and sat down with my legs crossed.

I remained silent for a few seconds, then, I gathered my resolve for what I was about to do.

"Can you hear me?"

At plain sight, it would seem as if I was talking to myself. Indeed, I looked stupid, but I had a reason for it.

"Oi~ Artificial intelligence-san…? Are you there?" I called out in a slightly softer voice.

Then, the core in my chest glowed slightly blue, a bunch of pixels appeared in front of me and a girl materialized.

It was that same blue girl that I saw in my dream. I expected her to be standing up with her arms crossed with the most hateful glare, but what was happening now was very different. She had her back to me and was sitting down on her legs as if crying over her dog. It was a rather an accurate description because I could also hear her sobbing. She wiped the tears off with the sleeves of her blue jumper that was about a foot longer than her arm. But it seemed like her tears wouldn't stop.

First thing that came up in my mind was the fact I felt guilt poke my conscience.

 _'Well… I did say all those mean things when she was just trying to tell me the truth…'_

Even though she's an AI, seeing a girl in that state should even make the coldest people mushy. But that takes me to the second thing that crossed my mind. How can a machine cry like that? It's as if she wasn't an AI, but a real person.

She managed to squeeze out some words in between her sobs,

"W-What do you want?!"

80% of my courage I mustered up earlier disappeared into thin air with that sentence.

"Uh… You see… What you said earlier in that matrix dimension…"

Suddenly, she started outright crying. She bawled like a lost girl in the middle of a scary forest.

"I… uh… just wanted to say… You were right."

Then, her crying stopped and was reduced to sobbing.

"I didn't trust her at first. To be honest, she's nuts."

I paused, letting a small grin form as I closed my eyes in admittance,

"Like you told me, Shino… Tabane-san saved my life. It's hard to admit, but I owe her my life."

The AI girl slowly began turning around with tear-streaked face, but I wasn't aware of this so I continued,

"So, you know… what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry." I concluded and opened my eyes and gave her a sincere look of apology.

To my delight, she let out a giggle,

"You damn better well be… Jerk." She wiped the last droplet of tear from her eyes and jumped at me for a bear hug.

 _'She has ridiculous strength too…'_ I said, starting to lose feeling in my upper body.

She pulled back and smiled childishly. I sighed in relief and couldn't help but smile to myself.

Then I lightly grabbed one side of the AI's cheeks and squeezed it lightly in curiosity.

"But that's strange. I thought you were a hologram. But I can actually feel your skin like this…"

Her cheeks then turned red when I touched them and squeezed them. I would understand why it would turn red on the side where I'm squeezing, but why the other side? Must be my imagination.

But it was kind of cute watching her trying to speak with my hands squeezing her cheek.

I let go of her cheeks to let her speak, but that was a mistake.

"By the way, you were checking out Tabane when you were pinning her to the wall earlier, right?"

She covered her mouth with her sleeve and snickered,

"Did master think I wouldn't notice? P-e-r-v- ouwow!"

I grabbed both of her cheeks and stretched them sideways slowly with a tick mark on my forehead.

"One thing's for sure; your mouth sure is lively isn't it, you cheeky little AI?"

"Ouwow! Prease Marshy! (Please mercy!)" she begged with small bits of tears seeping out.

The AI rubbed her cheeks in pain after I let them go.

"And I'm not AI. I have a proper name."

"Oh really now?" That came out more sarcastically than I intended.

"Takane Enomoto"

"Hmm?"

"I said Takane Enomoto."

I grimaced at the name,

"It's awfully ordinary for an AI…"

"Hey! My name is perfectly original, and pretty. It fits me perfectly too."

I just shook it off,

"Too much pain, I'll just call you Ene."

"Ene… I like it! It has a nice ring to it!"

I grinned at how easy it was to please this little girl,

"Alright, whatever. Go back home, CPU, or whatever you call it."

With that, Ene disintegrated into pixels and disappeared into my core.

Tabane stood still, standing on the other side of the shoji door. She lied about getting tea and just stood behind the door the whole time, listening in silence.

She lightly leaned against a wooden support and looked up into the sky with a warm smile,

 _'Heh? He's much softer than he looks.'_

 _'And he called me by my name!'_ Tabane giggled to herself with a light blush as she returned to her childish demeanor. After that, she hopped off quietly in bliss.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Now that the problem with Ene, the AI, was solved, it was time to take up on Shinonono's offer about learning more about this core. But first, there was something of much more importance.

Who the hell was I?

Ever since I became a lab rat, I had no recollection of my past. My name, hobby, family, friends… Even my own looks.

I have yet to look at myself at a mirror or anything, and so, I had absolutely no clue how I looked. Actually, I noticed I was half naked thanks to me ripping my shirt to pieces earlier. But now that my upper body was exposed, I noticed a number painted on my right chest just beneath the collarbone.

"27…" I read it out loud and trailed off in thought.

Then I clicked my tongue in disgust when I realized,

"Those sick bastards… They numbered me like livestock."

I felt a bit of my rage resurface and squeezed the number mark tightly.

 _'Master… What do you mean by livestock…?'_

I could sense a bit of concern in Ene's voice. So I was guessing she didn't know.

"Don't worry about that for now… You know where the bathroom is, right? Navigate me there, will you?"

 _'... Just go straight until you see a door on your left. But just for future reference, you can just talk through your mind. Just think of me when you talk, I'll be able to hear it. Wait, that kind of sounded romantic, didn't it, master?'_

Ene giggled slightly to herself, but I ignored the witty comment. Yep, it was definitely Shinonono who built her.

Just as Ene directed, I saw the door on the left side just ahead. I opened it without a second of hesitation. I was getting very impatient and was curious what I looked like.

Then, when I pulled the door open, I saw Shinonono, completely naked, with only a towel over her shoulders, right in front of me. Her long magenta hair was still wet from what seemed like shower. It seemed like she was about to get out because her hand was where the door knob should have been before I opened the door. I could smell the lingering scent of lavender from the bathroom, dancing around my nose.

She just stood there, her eyes wide open, wider than I thought it could ever be.

I did the same; I just stood there, topless, looking at her with a rather indifferent expression. I didn't particularly feel anything at that moment to be perfectly honest. In fact, I was annoyed. I was hoping not to come across her so soon. Plus, she ruined my perfect opportunity to look at myself in the mirror.

I decided to break the ice because the situation was becoming stranger and stranger,

"What happened to the tea you mentioned earlier?"

5th of September, 2099, a mysterious explosion at the Shinonono residence was recorded as one of the most dangerous events ever recorded in Japanese history.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

I sipped on my green tea and scratched the back of my head nonchalantly.

"But seriously, destroying half of this place just because I saw a little bit of your skin?"

I didn't understand the human response mechanisms to these kinds of things. Was it a taboo looking at someone's skin? Was it so bad that one deserves something close to death when one commits said taboo? I don't know. I don't even want to know.

"Neh, have you ever heard of D-398? It's this nasty looking mega drill that I invented a few years ago. I heard it hurts…"

Shinonono was still smiling, but there were traces of venom in her voice. It was just plain creepy at this point. Crazy as usual, I see.

"Mmm… I think I'll pass up on that."

"Ehhh? It's so cool though… I really wanted to show you." She said with an innocent frown. But that was anything but innocent. It had killing intent all over it.

 _'Even a nut-job like her show anger like that. What a surprise.'_

But shoving out the irrelevant thoughts,

"It's true that I didn't know you were in there. I only wanted to take a look at myself in the mirror to see what I look like. So don't think about it too much."

"Arah, it's not like I'm mad about it or anything! What makes you think I'm angry?"

 _'That tone! That tone that's threatening to murder me in my sleep!'_ I decided to keep the thoughts to myself for my own safety.

"ANYWAY, we're going off topic. You said that you'd show me what this piece of stone does. Well, then show me."

Then, her atmosphere brightened suddenly,

"Ah, I did say that didn't I!"

I sighed in relief to the fact that the conversation was able to miraculously progress.

"But are you sure you don't want to see the D-398 mega drill?"

"Enough about that, you nut-job!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The nameless boy followed from a distance behind Shinonono Tabane towards her laboratory.

Ene's voice resounded in his head,

 _'I can't believe master walked in on Tabane when she was taking a shower. As expected of a pervert.'_

The boy clenched his fists and a tick appeared on it.

 _'I don't know where you get this idea of me being a pervert, but that was an accident, and you know it.'_

 _'But master could have knocked first. That's how it should be in another person's house. That's common sense!'_

 _'But still, who in the world would destroy a whole house just because of a little skin being seen?'_

 _'I mean, I would've killed you if you saw me naked.'_

 _'Hah?!'_

For some reason, the boy felt that the last sentence was more like a warning than an expression of an opinion. Just what was wrong with these girls, he would think to himself obliviously. But he noticed he was walking a little too close to Tabane, so he slowed his paced down a tad bit.

"You don't have to stay that far away. It's not like I'll bite you, you know?" Tabane reassured with a bright smile.

But said young man knew the true intent behind her words, and he did his best to stay far away as possible.

"I just got my life back. I'm not planning to lose it again." He chuckled to himself a little.

But Tabane twisted her head slightly ponderously,

"Ehh? But Tabane doesn't know what you're talking about!"

She let out a cute "Teh-het" like a klutz. But I ignored her.

It didn't take long for them to reach Shinonono's research lab, since it was right underneath her own house like a basement. Except, it was humongous, at least the size of a football field. There were a lot of different departments and unfinished work lying around here and there.

"Wait, I know. Shinonono, you can describe what I look like, right? What hair color, eye color? What age do I look like?"

The nameless youth fired away a lot of his inquiries eagerly, but he only heard Tabane giggle a little and give him a smile.

"Well, all I can say is, you're not bad-looking." That was all the answer he got.

 _'That wasn't even my question…'_ the boy sighed exasperatedly.

Tabane led the boy down another level through a set of stairs, and he was surprised to see a clear opening, like a weapons testing site.

"Here we are! From here, you can test your IS all you want without worrying about my toys being destroyed!"

Tabane then produced a tablet from her cleavage and pressed a couple buttons.

"Oi, before we get to the IS stuff, I want to see what I…" The boy trailed off, but when Tabane held the tablet out in front of him, he saw a projection of a tall, slim, but well-built teen. He had short spikey blonde hair, yellow brows, azure eyes and a pale face complementing all of the above. He seemed to be around 17 years of age and let out a strong air of charisma. **(A/N: Genos from One Punch Man)**

"Who the hell are you?" the nameless boy demanded. The projected figure had this transcending look against the boy and he didn't like it one bit.

Then, Tabane erupted into her unique laughter,

"Nyahahaha! That's you, silly! You just growled at your own face!"

"Huh?" That was the only response the nameless boy could make. He then stared at his own projection for a long minute, and then sighed in a slightly dejected manner.

"What. So that's what I look like?"

He noticed that his AI had fallen silent,

 _'Oi, Ene, you've closed up all of a sudden, what's the matter?'_

A pause. Then,

 _'Woah… I imagined you to look like some kind of a perverted freak, but I didn't think you were this good-looking…'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Now that was weird. I was sure that Ene already knew how I looked since she materialized once and saw me face to face.

 _'Wait, you mean, you didn't know what I looked like before? What's going on?'_

 _'You see, you're probably thinking that I knew how you looked because I materialized into the physical world, but I can only see things through your eyes, no matter where I am. Because you, yourself, weren't aware of your own looks, I also didn't know what you looked like.'_

I cringed at this new fact,

 _'So, you were there talking to me in front of my face while you didn't even know how I looked like? What?!'_

Ene let out an annoyed sigh,

 _'So, what I'm trying to say is, when I materialized, to my eyes, you were only a dark silhouette to me. Like a shadow. It's what I call a gap in data.'_

I hummed in understanding.

My thoughts were interrupted when Shinonono spoke,

"By the way, I never got your name. Do you remember it?"

Now that she mentioned it, I also forgot about that issue. My identity was missing. Any sense of self that I had was in this number tattoo on my chest.

I closed my eyes, frustrated to admit it,

"Unfortunately, I can't remember anything. But I guess… 27 is fine."

I saw her trademark pout when I made that suggestion,

"Pooooh… Lame-o~ That's just a number! That's no fun!"

"What do you want me to do?"

I saw her ponder for a few minutes. She then beamed,

"How about Tom?"

I hummed at the suggestion. It wasn't bad. For once she suggested something legit and decent.

"That's not bad. Where does it come from?"

"Peeping Tom."

…

"I'll send you flying, you loony rabbit."

Shinonono's childish smile broke into cute frown with fake tears seeping out of her eyes.

"Uwahhh! Tom's such a meanie! Calling me mean names all the time!"

I rubbed my temples in mental stress. I felt my life span chip away every time she spoke.

"Why can't you call me Tabane-san like you did earlier!?" she sobbed in a low voice.

My reaction was instantaneous; I snapped around with a little bit of heat creeping up my face.

"Y-You... you were eavesdropping?!"

She stopped her fake crying and turned to stare at my current expression. She grinned mischievously,

"Nyahah! Tom's all red! It's the first time Tom ever showed emotion!" she cheered loudly to my stress.

I face-palmed and massaged the bridge of my nose.

"Anyway, rejected. I told you that was an accident."

"Then call me Taba-chan"

"Hah?!"

I couldn't believe what this woman was saying. She changed it. She changed it from Tabane-san to Taba-chan!

"Don't be stupid! Like I'll call you that!"

"Then Taba-chan's calling you Peeping Tom."

"You little…"

But then a brilliant idea popped up.

"Wait, I know a brilliant name for you, Shinonono." I exclaimed with the biggest smirk I have ever made.

Shinonono's mechanic bunny ears twitched excitedly and she leaned closer to me in eager.

"Oh! Oh! What is it? Let me hear it!"

"Tabaco."

"Eh?"

"I'll call you Tabaco"

Her magenta eyes stared at mine as if asking for more detail, but I gave nothing away.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you shorten other people's life span. Just like smoking a tabaco."

"Ahh! Again! You're calling me something mean again! Tom, you stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Stop calling me Tom!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

With all the chaos with the name out of the way, Shinonono was finally going to teach me what this piece of rock does.

…was what I thought, but she got into a very lengthy explanation as to how her motivation let her to the brilliant discovery of the IS technology and how awesome and genius she was.

"The name of your personal IS is Lyka. Normally, IS' all have a closed form, and take the form of accessories like bracelets, earrings, or rings, but you're special! Since the core is integrated into your body, your current 'human' form is the closed form. You'll see what I mean when you activate it, so no worries, nyahaha!"

I took mental note of all that. Finally, she was talking about something worthwhile.

"Also, because of your circumstances, your IS is a full-body model unlike all the other ones because-"

"Because I'm special?" I raised an eyebrow almost lazily, answering for her.

"Bin poh! Correct!"

 _'I honestly can't tell if she's just a natural nut-job, or if she just acts like one.'_

I let the thought go for now, and continued to listen to her babbling.

At some point, she mentioned something about her younger sister. Hockey? Hikki? I didn't remember, but one thing I noticed was that whenever she was talking about her younger sister, she seemed different. She sounded more genuine and warm.

 _'A family, huh?'_

I couldn't help but let a smile form while watching her talk and talk for hours on end. But, she noticed my uncharacteristic smile and probed,

"Is there something funny I said? Why are you smiling?"

"Nah, it's nothing. Just watching you talk makes me laugh. I expect no less from Tabaco."

Shinonono just showed her trademark pout, her cheeks blown outward,

"Mou! You're still calling me a Tabaco. I'll really get angry!"

I raised my hands as to feigning surrender. I knew Shinonono was no pushover. I sensed it during my fit of rage right after I woke up in her room. I wasn't stupid enough to think that I was stronger than her.

"Woahh! Give me a break. You almost destroyed this whole place just because I saw you nak-"

"Tom?"

"Eh?"

Shinonono was still smiling! Stop smiling for goodness sakes! It was scary! Her eyes were shadowed, yet she had that sinister smile.

I felt a rush of coldness up the back of my neck and sweated bullets nervously.

"S-Sorry."

It seemed like me seeing her naked was a touchy subject. My goodness was she sensitive.

The atmosphere around Shinonono once again brightened within seconds, almost as if the cold atmosphere earlier didn't exist.

"Mmhmm! It's okay! Taba-chan will forgive Tom with warm arms!"

She tried to rush up to me for a bear hug, but I stopped her midway by pushing her back by her forehead with my palm.

"Enough with the Tom already, jeez."

"Anyway! Now that we've went through everything about IS, we'll practice using the real thing! Tom, try activating your IS!"

Shinonono jumped back and allowed me some space to summon this IS thing she'd been mentioning.

"Like I said, don't call me Tom!" I scolded with a smile.

I brought my arms closer together to the middle of my body and shouted,

"Come, Lyka!"

* * *

 **Few weeks later…**

"Oi, Shinonono Tabaco! We're training! Let's go!"

"Ehhhh? But I don't want to! I wanna go play with my bunny robot BN-493!"

Her whining was so loud and it could almost be mistaken as a real kid's whine. But do not be fooled, she was probably much older than I was.

Shinonono had once told me that, biologically, I was 17 years old, and it was believable. 183cm in height, and 120kg in weight. It's not like I was overweight or anything. The weight of my metal arm, leg and core alone were 40kg, bringing my weight to about 80kg. But I probably weighed more than that because I was slightly on the muscular side. But of course, that was because all sorts of chemicals were forced into me to make me a superhuman when I was still a lab rat.

Ever since the day I woke up as this cyborg, Tabaco called it, I decided to live under Shinonon's residence and train myself to better handle my IS. For the most of the time, I trained against bunny robots in a variety of difficulty and improved myself that way. But I would also force Shinonono along to train me. I would always tell her to take the spar seriously, but she never does. But I still always lose.

I stomped into Shinonono's little computer room and all the purple background lighting in the room was enough to make my eyes sting. As she always does, she sat on her strange looking chair with 6 white legs attached to the back piece like a spider and in front of her were multiple holographic screens showing some kind of a blueprint for a bunny robot. She obviously seemed pretty busy. Obviously, I didn't really care.

I grabbed her by the back shirt collar and began dragging her towards the training field in the basement.

She whined even louder,

"Uwahh! Tom, you stupid, idiot, octopus, pervert! I don't wanna train!"

A tick appeared on my forehead,

"If you sit all day in a chair and look at computer screens all day, you're going to get fat and nobody's going to marry you!"

Perhaps she knew I was right because she remained quiet, with her usually adorable pout.

"Tch. It's seems like all the nutrients went into growing that uselessly large chest instead of your brain."

 **Bang!**

I couldn't help but slightly snicker amusedly at the witty comment.

"Tom?"

I felt a familiar coldness creep up my spine, and so, I looked back with a shade of purple.

"Did you know D-398 is also very effective in disposing sexual harassment? It really is a handy tool…"

She didn't seem to think that it was very funny. Gosh, her level of scary was out of the world. I ought to be careful during our spar tonight, or she might just accidently kill me.

* * *

 **A few days later…**

"Hoh? Shinonono Houki, a 14-year-old girl, takes the victory for the national kendo competition. Is that your little sister?"

I was reading an excerpt from a news article projected on Tabaco's screen. Tabaco was, as always, on her weird maintenance chair, only this time, her screen was filled with Shinonono Houki and the article I was reading off of.

"Hai! Hai! That's my Houki-chan!"

Shinonono Houki, just as her name suggested, was Tabaco's little sister. When Tabaco first received the news, she was very hasty and eager to show off about her little sister's accomplishment.

"I'm impressed. As expected of the little sister of a ridiculously strong onee-san."

"Ah! Tom called me onee-san! Say it one more time!"

"Like I will!"

"Stingy!" she pouted.

"And stop calling me Tom!"

Then, I noticed something else in the same page of the article shown on Tabaco's screen. I directed her attention to the bottom of the article.

"Wait, Tabaco, scroll down a bit…"

"I'm not Tabaco! Call me Taba onee-san!"

"Shut up and just do it!"

Her pout became even bigger, but nonetheless, she scrolled down for me to see.

"Orimura Chifuyu… former world IS tournament champion, and the world's strongest woman forfeits from the finals match? What the heck is this?"

Then, I saw Tabaco's expression brighten like a maniac,

"Chi-chan!"

"Chi-chan?" I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name.

Shinonono only nodded furiously.

"Mhmm! Chi-chan! She's my best friend!"

For some reason, I wasn't surprised at all. Tabaco was ridiculously strong as well.

"But if she's so strong, why did she forfeit from the finals. Maybe she was afr-"

"NO!"

I slightly jumped when she suddenly yelled. She was glaring at me for the first time. I had never seen her get this angry before.

"Chi-chan has a little brother… During her match, he was kidnapped by some organization, so she left to rush to his rescue."

Her pair of magenta eyes bore through my eyes with a serious expression.

"I won't forgive anyone who makes fun of Chi-chan, even if it's Tom!"

I stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds. It's been a while since I saw her serious side of her personality. It was obvious that this Chi-chan was an important person to her.

I lightly hit her on the head with my fist.

"Stupid."

"Eh?" She was flabbergasted when I hit her on the head, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

"It wasn't my intention to make fun of her. But still, if that's what really happened, well, isn't that admirable of her."

I let a rare smile escape from my usually stoic face.

"Tom…"

Her demeanor changed instantly to a cheerful one,

"But still! I'm glad Chi-chan saved I-kun. Houki-chan and I-kun seem really fit for each other. If I-kun died, Houki-chan would be sad, and if Houki-chan's sad, onee-san would also be sad!"

Even though her tone was childish, I sensed truth in those words.

Out of the corner of my eyes, something caught my eyes like a magnet.

"Wait, scroll up a little more…"

There was a bold heading written on the first page of the news article;

 **Multiple bodies of test subjects found near an abandoned R &D laboratory in the corner of Japan!**

It was written by experts that the event that took place there was the most atrocious case of crime against humanity since the holocaust. The forensics also seemed to have discovered the motive behind the research laboratory from the autopsies. Hence, they named the event as the Apeiron Tragedy.

Tabaco probably saw my face darken and my fist shaking; she gave me a worried look,

"Tom..."

I only let out a sigh,

"Could have been nicer if they found the place a little earlier…"

I turned around, and made my way out of the room.

"Anyway, don't sit all day in there and do something proactive."

I walked outside to the garden and stared at a small pond with some orange white fishes in it. I believe that they were called 'Koi' fishes, a traditional Japanese fish.

I was lost in thought before I even realized. The concept of family flew around in my head,

 _'A family, huh?'_

Then I noticed a churning feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 _'A stomachache? No. Is this what they call envy? I shouldn't be worrying about that for now. I'm sure when my memory returns, I'll be able to see my family too.'_

Then, Tabaco's voice called out from behind me, she seemed to be excited for some reason.

"Tom! Good news, good news! Guess what! Guess!" She was unusually hyper, but I didn't pay particular mind to it because she was always like that.

"Just tell me. What is it?"

"You'll be attending the all-girl school IS academy next year! They reserved a place for you there, isn't that great?"

"Huh?"

"It's already been decided! You'll have so much fun!"

"HAH?!"

* * *

 **A few days later…**

"Hurry, Tom!"

A vein bulged on my temple,

"It's not ready yet. So shut up and wait." I scolded.

"And don't call me Tom!"

Tabane tapped the table with both her hands with the fork and spoon in her hands,

"But I'm hungry!"

We were currently in the kitchen, preparing for dinner; well, I was the one preparing it. I was making a plain chicken stir-fry with rice; I didn't really take the luxury of learning other dishes, and so, this was all I could make. But she seemed to always enjoy it.

I wiped a bit of sweat off my brow and brought the bowls to the dinning table,

"Alright, it's hot so be ca-"

The instant I let my hand go, the contents of the bowl disappeared instantly.

"Delicious! Seconds! Tom's stir fry is always so good!"

Her smile was that of an innocent little girl, and I couldn't help but slide my portion of the stir-fry towards her.

Tabane looked at me curiously,

"But what about Tom? You don't need to worry about Taba-chan."

"I'm not hungry. It would be a waste to let it get cold too. So don't get ahead yourself."

She stared at me in silence for a painfully long minute.

"Tom, are you, by any chance, a tsundere?"

...

I grimaced,

"How about a one-way ticket to the end of the galaxy?"

Tabane raised her arms and cheered childishly,

"Yay! Tom's stir fry special!"

She then wolfed it down in less than 20 seconds. Wow, what an appetite, I thought.

"Kahh! That was good! Thanks for the meal!"

I pointed towards the door almost commandingly,

"Alright, now that you've eaten, brush your teeth and go to sleep. It's pretty late."

The older girl pouted,

"Hai~"

She left the kitchen, her mechanical bunny ears twitching excitedly.

I let out a tired sigh. At times like this, I couldn't help think that she was cute in her own way. She was like a baby bird, chirping loudly for food at her parent birds. I felt like the parent bird, always feeding the noisy little chick.

 _'Maybe this is what having a baby sister feels like_ …'

I went to my room with that thought without having anything to eat. I lost my appetite when something caught my mind.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"I forgot to tell you this, Tom. But during the core implantation, I discovered something strange about your eyes."_

 _"Hmm? What's wrong with them?"_

 _They were blue right?_

 _"Unlike the normal human eyes, they respond to light and dark very unusually."_

 _"How so?"_

 _As if she was answering my question, she produced a button from her pocket and pressed it. The whole light system went down, and everything was pitch black._

 _"Woah, what the hell are you doing, Tabaco!? I can't see anything!"_

 _I couldn't see anything; everything was pitch black. That was what I thought, but I heard some machine sounds coming from the back of my head. When I blinked, everything was green and black and it was followed by a high pitch buzz sound. I could see the terrain far away from here with great detail. I also saw Shinonono standing still in front of me. I could see the outline of her body in green._

 _"Oi, turn the green lighting off, it's uncomfortable to my eyes."_

 _"But, Tom, all the lights are off. It's pitch black."_

 _Huh? Wait. That was impossible. Because…_

 _"You can see perfectly fine, right?" Shinonono asked._

 _"Yeah… It's just that everything's green and black…"_

 _"That's night vision."_

 _"Come again?"_

 _"It means it's a special vision that lets you see in the dark. Mou! It's common sense, Tom!"_

 _"Stop calling me Tom!" I retorted, but she didn't listen._

 _But it was hard to believe her. How can I have night vision? My eyes looked perfectly normal from what I saw in the projection of myself._

 _As to answer that question, Shinonono raised her tablet in front of me and projected a mirror image of myself again._

 _Everything was normal, the metal limbs, the hair, the face. But one thing caught my attention, and that was my eye colors._

 _The sclera was pitch black when it should be white. My pupils were not the azure blue I saw earlier, but were bright yellow with a black center._

 _"What the…"_

 _Then the light flashed back on, and I was blinded for a second. But my vision recovered at an abnormal speed, and soon enough, I could see properly._

 _But the projection still showed me with the unusual eye colors._

 _"How do I turn this thing off?!" I was a little flustered. Maybe because I felt that I lost a large part of my humanity. And maybe it was because I looked like some kind of a demon._

 _"If you will it to return to the normal eye color, it should change."_

 _Just like she said, when I thought of wanting to return to my other eye color, I heard the same machine sound from the back of my head, and saw that my eye had turned to its usual after I blinked._

 _We just both stood there, silently. I was unable to find the words because I was in a momentary shock._

 _Then, Shinonono broke the silence, to my relief,_

 _"I found this abnormality when we were going over your conditions before the implantation…"_

 _I understood what that meant. When I thought cutting me up was enough, those bastards had to go ahead and mess up my eyes as well. I was glad I killed all of them. I didn't regret it._

 _"Tom…"_

 _"It's okay. I don't care anymore. It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

My room was dark, and so, I turned on my so-called "Nightvision" bitterly. There was that disturbing machine sound coming from the back of my head, followed by the same high pitch buzz sound, and then, everything was dyed black and green. I could see the door I entered from, and the designs on the wall with no effort.

I quickly turned my night vision off in disgust and put myself to sleep. Or at least I tried.

* * *

 **1 Year later, year 2100…**

"I guess it's time."

I pulled on the collar of the white blazer that was sent to me a week ago. It came with the standard white first-year IS student uniform pants as well as shoes. I had to admit, while looking at the mirror, I looked pretty sharp. The only thing that bothered me was the black leather glove I wore on my right hand, it kind of looked suspicious.

 _'Well, I don't want people to see my metal hand.'_

I tightened the glove onto my hand to confirm its tightness and security.

But thank goodness the uniforms were long and thick. It hid my metallic limbs perfectly.

My name is Satoshi Kazuki, 18 years old. The last name Satoshi comes from the meaning: quick-wittedness, and wise, while my given name, Kazuki, comes from the meaning: hope and harmony. But I didn't think too much about the meanings because it wasn't me who came up with it.

During the previous months, I felt that my personality had changed. To be more precise, my personality had grown. During the first few weeks of meeting Tabaco, I was mostly expressionless. But now, I was more playful, and laid-back. Maybe Tabaco's personality had an influence on it.

"Tom! Tom! Don't forget to take this with you."

"It's not Tom! It's Satoshi from now on! You're the one who registered me into the academy under that name!"

"Aww… I forgot… Okay, then, Kazu-chan!"

"What the heck is Kazu-chan?!"

"Isn't it a cute name? I like it. Kazu-chan! Kazu-chan!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose in mental agony.

"Whatever. Call me what you want. What is it that you want me to take?"

She handed me a rather normal looking black cell phone.

"I specially programmed this phone for you in case you need to call me, or I need to call you. Just press the star 7 times!"

I explored the phone a bit more. When I opened it, the phone came to life, and on the home screen, there was Tabaco, with two "V" hand signs, winking towards the camera.

"…"

"And just in case you miss Taba onee-san, you can have that around and think abou-"

"I'm deleting it."

My finger was 2 millimeters away from the delete button but Tabaco dived onto my arms and held it back.

"Uwahh! Kazu-chan is a meanie!"

"Argh! Let go! And stop calling me that girly name!"

She ignored my protest and took out a pair of ear piercings.

"And put these on. You said you didn't want people finding out about your core. It will be suspicious for you to not have an accessory for the closed form of your IS. But since Lyka doesn't have one, these piercings will be a pretend."

I gratefully accepted them.

"Oh and, your ears are already pierced. I did it for you when I implanted the core last year." She added cheekily.

"Okay… Is there any other place on my body with a hole that you forgot to mention?"

"I don't think so, teh-het!" she stuck her tongue out and tapped herself in the head feigning klutzy.

"That was sarcasm, you little…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Anyway. I need to leave now to arrive in time. It's going to be a 4 hour trip so…" Kazuki said, staring into the clear blue sky.

Tabane and Kazuki stood there facing each other silently for a few seconds. Today, for some reason, Shinonono wasn't acting like her usual self. Normally, she would act like she had a screw loose, but today, it felt like she was having trouble meeting Kazuki's eyes and had her head slightly down.

"What's with the long face? You're not acting like your crazy self, Tabaco." he asked gently with a light smile.

"Kazu-chan, I…" she opted to speak, albeit hesitantly, creating few seconds of silence between the two.

Kazuki smiled understandingly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Tabaco."

Tabane looked up to see the blonde youth smiling down at her warmly, much to her surprise.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'll protect your sister in your place. I promise."

Shocked, her eyes widened when Kazuki read her like an open book.

"We both knew the real reason why you gave me the core… Why you put me in the academy… It's for Houki, isn't it?"

She tried to say something, but he could tell that something was stuck in her neck, and she couldn't find the words to say anything. That was understandable. Kazuki never confronted her about the issue during the 1 year he spent there, so of course she would be unprepared to answer.

He continued, "My AI, Ene, she was also just a program to keep an eye on me, wasn't she? She was never an AI for my core. There is no way an AI like her could exist in an IS."

Her head dropped even further, and Kazuki realized she felt guilty about it.

"No wonder I haven't heard from her much…"

Tabane looked down, her magenta eyes staring into the dirt sadly,

"What Kazu-chan said, it's all true… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Kazuki didn't say anything and looked at her in silence. It was becoming harder for Tabane to look him in the eyes, so she had her head down.

"You can h-hate me if you want, Kazu-chan… I've done a terrible thing to you…"

But she was suddenly caught in a bear hug. She couldn't move her arms, and she was being hugged tightly.  
"K-Kazu-chan…?"

Kazuki spoke over her shoulder softly,

"Don't be stupid. Sure, you picked my dead body off the streets and forced me to live, but Tabane, I want you to remember this one thing."

It was the first time the boy had ever called the purple haired girl by her proper name.

"It doesn't matter to me what reason you had to make me what I am. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. And you gave me a reason to live, so thank you."

Tabane's eyes widened and started to water up slightly.

Kazuki let her go from his bear hug and gave her a warm smile,

"I'll be going, then. I'll see you again sometime."

With that, he was gone, and Tabane was left standing at the gateway with a shocked expression.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My name is Orimura Ichika. 15 years old, 170 cm, and a boy. For the first time in my life, I wished I was a girl. The situation right now called for this thought because I was in the IS academy where only girls attended because guys can't activate an IS. But I was an exception and I didn't know why.

That aside, I was actually pleasantly surprised to find out that there was another guy in the same class who supposedly could use an IS. He was a natural blonde, and had a pair of clean azure eyes. He also wore a pair of ear piercing. I was guessing that it was his IS in closed form since he did tell me that he had his personal IS. His name was, if I remembered correctly, Satoshi Kazuki. At first, his height and the appearance with the piercings made me think that he was scary, but he was surprisingly a lot nicer than he seemed. Right now, he was sat at the very back of the class. But, I was sat in the very front of the class, at the center. I wanted to send a basket of painfully spicy chili peppers to whoever assigned the seat. Most of the girls stared at me who was easy to see from the back and the stares were so intense, my nerves were acting up.

Kazuki was lucky… Only the girls in the same row stared at him.

"T-this is much harder than I expected…" I said to myself.

I looked towards my childhood friend, Shinonono Houki, just left of me, for help, but she outright looked away from me as if she didn't want to be caught up with the trouble.

 _'_ _Is that how you act towards your childhood friend after we haven't seen each other for 6 years?'_ I looked down in resignation. I was sooo nervous. Nobody could really help me in this situation.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I think fate has its way of working things out for each of us humans, and what just happened today proved that. As soon I entered the class, I bumped into the only male in the world that can activate an IS. Well, my existence kind of invalidates that, but since I wasn't exactly 'human' enough to be considered a male, I guess that worked out. But I decided not to get into deeper thoughts about that.

That wasn't the shocking thing. That male happened to be Orimura Ichika, Chifuyu's little brother. With this in mind, finding Tabaco's little sister, a childhood friend of Ichika, was going to be a piece of cake.

But what intense pressure. All the girls sitting in the same row were staring straight at me. They were looking at me as if I was an animal that walked into the class with a smart uniform.

But compared to Ichika… Man, I was in safe haven.

One thing that made me feel uncomfortable was the longhaired blonde girl sitting just across from me. She let out a very noble aura and I was immediately able to tell that she came from an established household. But that wasn't the issue. She was looking back just to glare at me. I wasn't sure what beef she had against me, but I tried to ignore it. I thought maybe she would be nice because we had matching hair and eye colors, but looks like that wasn't happening.

Then, a short and buxom green haired women entered the classroom with the attendance, looking rather confident. Under her glasses, she wore a gentle smile,

"Congratulations to everyone on entering the school! I am the vice-homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya!"

There were no reactions from the class. Everyone was too busy looking at either Ichika or me.

"A-Ah, ehh?"

She seemed slightly daunted by this. But she regained her composure and quickly followed up with,

"From this day onwards, everyone here is a student of IS academy."

Her hands gestured to the screen just beside her and showed an array of campus pictures. She scrolled through them briefly while she explained,

"This is a boarding school. Everyone will be together, even when classes are over. Please help one another, and enjoy the next 3 years together!"

Silence.

I really felt bad for our vice-homeroom teacher. She was just doing her job. I could tell that she was trying really hard for her students.

 _'_ _Good luck, Yamada-sensei!'_ I cheered her on under my breath.

A sweat drop formed on the teacher's head and she lay down the attendance panel on her teacher's desk.

"N-Now let's move onto the self-introductions!"

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

 _'_ _Oh no! Introductions! This will be the most crucial moment of my 3 years of high school!'_

Introductions in any schools were the beginning of a youth's highschool life. It was also the end. It's got to be impactful and memorable enough to get a good head start.

"Orimura-kun, Orimura Ichika-kun!" I didn't notice Yamada-sensei calling my name.

"A-Ah, hai!"

The whole class giggled lightly. Man, how embarrassing. I was too immersed in my thoughts I didn't notice it was my turn.

"Erm, I'm sorry for speaking so loud, but having started from 'A', we've moved on to 'O'. Will you introduce yourself? Maybe?" she put on a smile and placed her hands together as if requesting me to introduce myself.

"Erm, please don't apologize, it's not your fault."

I sighed and gathered as much courage as I could. I ignored my nervous feelings, stood up, and announced,

"Umm… My name is Orimura Ichika, pleased to meet you."

Silence. I turned around, but that was a mistake. I saw that all the girls were staring at me with a glint and it was really intimidating.

 _'_ _Oh no, I can't stay quiet like this, or else, I'll be known as a gloomy guy!'_

I took a deep breath and prepared for round 2. Everyone watched in anticipation, even the teacher.

"That is all!"

Everyone fell over their desks, dumbstruck.

"Ehh, what? Was that not enough?" I asked desperately, but something hard crashed down onto my head. And it hurt like heck!

I turned to see who the culprit was, only to be confronted by Chifuyu-nee, my older sister.

"Geh! Chifuyu-nee?!"

 **Punch**

Her fist crashed down onto my head again mercilessly.

"It's Orimura-sensei at school." She ordered sternly.

Yamada-sensei's mood brightened when she saw Chifuyu-nee, almost as if she was a hero.

"Sensei, has the meeting ended?"

Chifuyu-nee gave her a reassuring smile,

"Yeah. I'm sorry for making you greet the class, Yamada-kun."

Then, screams of joy erupted from around me.

"Kyahh! Chifuyu-sama! It's really Chifuyu-sama!"

"I came to this school just to see you, Chifuyu-sama!"

"I can die if it's for you!"

Chifuyu-nee placed a hand on her forehead in pain from the sheer force of the screams and wondered,

"I'm amazed how these many idiots can get together. Did the school put them all in my class?"

The crowd went wilder,

"Onee-sama!"

"Scold us more!"

"But please be gentle at times!"

Chifuyu-nee did her best to ignore the uproar. So she turned to me with her fist in her hand threateningly,

"So, you can't even manage a simple introduction?"

"A-Ah, Chifuyu-nee, I'm…"

Then she grabbed me by my head and pushed my face onto my desk,

"It's Orimura-sensei."

"Hai… Orimura-sensei…"

* * *

 **=Perception Change=**

* * *

I face-palmed at Ichika's farce. He was asking to get hit. Was he a masochist?

But I recalled to his introduction and laughed inwardly,

 _'_ _Tsk tsk tsk. You're naïve, Ichika. An amateur. What you just did only attracted more attention by being the klutz type. You'll never have a peaceful school life.'_

I said my condolences for the poor kid who was going to be surrounded by girls this whole 3 years.

' _But what a scary woman. So that's Orimura Chifuyu. She's a lot normal than I expected knowing that she's Tabaco's friend…'_

But watching all of the antics that have occurred so far, it was obvious that not getting involved with her was the best strategy to get by in the academy in one piece.

And in order to do that, I had to stay away from attention.

But then, like I said, fate finds a way to work things out. Only this time, it turned around to slap me in the face.

For literally a split second, our eyes met, me and Chifuyu, and I would come to curse this moment for the rest of my life. I tried to escape it by darting my eyes away as quickly as I can, but that would only serve to bait her in closer. And it did.

To my utmost humiliation, I saw her smirk a little,

"Oi, you in the back with the blonde hair, introduce yourself. Show this fool how an introduction is supposed to be done."

I remained wordless. I daren't speak. I daren't even breathe.

Wait. There was a blonde girl across from me. It's not me she's calling, I screamed to myself in my head over and over again; like a mantra. I shrugged and brought my body closer to appear smaller in hopes of not being noticed.

To my despair, the imposing woman walked up to me with her arms crossed, wearing an irritated expression.

"Don't pretend like you didn't hear me. I said introduce yourself." She threatened with the same fist, threatening to deliver the deed.

I decided to man up and just stood up in my spot. But I was surprised to discover that I was significantly taller than her, maybe about a foot taller.

And that gave me an idea.

"Eh-hem!" I cleared my throat, and glanced around quickly and saw that all the girl's eyes were on me. Good.

I stomped my right foot onto the surface of my desk and put on the meanest scowl I could make,

"Name's Satoshi Kazuki. If you get in my way, I'll send you flying. Got that?"

I also raised my front hair and glared at them.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I saw Kazuki take an intimidating stance on his desk, and he was acting very differently from how he behaved with me earlier.

Then it came to me.

 _'_ _Ooo! I see! Unlike me, he's trying to be the bad delinquent to steer the attention away from him! What a brilliant plan! Not bad, Kazuki!'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I smirked victoriously to myself,

 _'_ _Hmph… That oughta do it.'_

As if on cue, I heard murmurs going around the room. Probably talking about how scary and bad I was. Probably talking about how they should stay wary of my existence.

"Hey, did you hear that? He'll send us flying!"

"Scary~ He's a delinquent!"

"Look! He's got piercings!

Judging by the whispers going around the room, it seemed like I have successfully made them afraid of me.

But the murmurs continued,

"But look at him, he's sooo handsome…"

Huh?

"A delinquent… Might be cool…"

What?!

Then, the crowd roared crazily,

"Send me flying, Satoshi-kun!"

"Kyahh! Send me flying!"

"No, send me flying!"

This was impossible. Just what was going through the heads of these masochists?

Then realization hit me harder than a hammer,

 _'_ _No! Just by showing that I was a delinquent, it made me a unique person! It just attracted more attention in the end!"_

I felt my soul being sucked out. Good bye my 3 years of peace. Perhaps I was too immersed in my thought, I forgot about Chifuyu's presence.

"Hoh? Putting your dirty foot on the desk in front of a teacher… You've got some guts, Satoshi." I felt a burning pain on my left ear. I was wondering what she was going to do with my taller height; she was pulling down on my ears. I instantly removed my foot from the desk and leaned down closer towards her hand to minimize the pain.

"Ahh! You're going to rip it! Let go!"

"It's Please let go, Orimura-sensei." She demanded.

"P-Please let go, Orimura-sensei!" I begged quickly, and to my relief, she released it.

She began walking towards the board, but she stopped mid-way, and sent me a death glare.

"Next time you try something like that in front of me, you're the one who's going to fly. Understood?"

"H-Hai." I gulped. Women were terrifying creatures to say the least.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

When I saw Chifuyu-nee glare at Kazuki like that, I thought I truly experienced the scary side of her. To think that Kazuki would bring out her scary side so quickly. He was amazing in a lot of ways.

When she turned around, I saw him cheekily stick his tongue out at her. But unfortunately for him, the attendance book came to greet him as it smacked him in the face dead on.

But it looked like Kazuki and I failed to do a proper introduction. And to tell the truth, I was relieved to have found someone very similar to me. I could feel that we were going to be great friends.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I rubbed the bridge of my nose in pain.

' _Damn that Chifuyu… She shows no mercy…'_

At that moment, I reflected deeply upon my mistake,

 _'_ _I may have messed that up. But as long as I stay out of Chifuyu's way, I should be okay…'_

Chifuyu arrived at her instructor desk in the front,

"Everyone! I am your homeroom teacher, Orimura Chifuyu. My job is to make all of you useful in a year."

Never mind. I was finished the moment I set foot in this class.

Everyone clapped. Except me of course.

She continued, "So I'll have you all memorize the basics of IS in six months. Practical training comes after that, but learn the basic maneuvers in half a month. Is that understood? If you do, then answer. Answer even if you don't." she commanded.

"Yes!"

All the girls were all so fired up. Maybe it was the influence of the former world IS champion.

But I watched her with an amused smirk,

 _'_ _A former world champion. Now a teacher, huh?'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

After making the grand introductory statement to the students, Orimura Chifuyu briefly looked at the new boy student, Satoshi Kazuki. He was looking at her with an amused smirk.

She sent him a warning glare, to which he simply gave an eye smile.

 _'_ _Just who in the world is he…'_

 ** _-Flashback-_**

 _"_ _Satoshi Kazuki?"_

 _The raven-haired woman threw the name out ponderously as she reached for the document in Yamada Maya's hands._

 _"_ _Hai. He's also going to be attending the academy, and will be participating in our class this year…"_

 _Chifuyu began listing out the details of the document in order._

 _"_ _Family name, Satoshi. Given name, Kazuki… His family, siblings and guardian name left blank… Yamada-kun, what's the significance of his family name?"_

 _"_ _H-Hai. There were no particular connections to any of the major figures in Japan, or in other countries."_

 _Chifuyu cocked an eyebrow at the profile picture attached to one of the documents._

 _"_ _It says his birth place is Japan, and he seems to have a perfectly normal Japanese name… But his hair and face looks nothing like one. Blonde, blue eyes."_

 _Yamada Maya took a peek at the picture and let out a small gasp,_

 _"_ _W-Wow. He's very handsome! He looks really strong too!"_

 _"_ _Focus Yamada!"_

 _"_ _A-Ah, I'm sorry, sensei." Yamada blushed._

 _Chifuyu gave her a dumbstruck look, but continued,_

 _"_ _His personal IS unit… Lyka. In the form of ear piercings in closed form. I've never heard of that unit before… Which generation model is it?"_

 _"_ _I'm not quite sure about that either, sensei. There wasn't a picture attached for it…"_

 _"_ _Well, no choice but to move on… Yamada, you have the rest of the document."_

 _"_ _Ah, hai! Let's see… As for physical description, height is at 183cm, and the weight… The weight… Ara?"_

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_

 _"_ _No way…He's that slim but weighs over 120kg?!"_

 _"_ _Yamada!"_

 _"_ _Ah, s-sorry. His age: 18 years old. Turns 19 after 8 months."_

 _"_ _He's a full grown adult." Chifuyu demanded._

 _"_ _But it's insisted that we keep Satoshi-kun in the first year because he has such a terrible control with his IS."_

 _"_ _Anything else?"_

 _"_ _Well, in the additional information box, it says that Satoshi-kun has a very sensitive skin, so he must always wear long sleeve pants and shirts to cover all his skin at all times, or he'll be injured from exposure to the sun, I'm guessing."_

 _Chifuyu sighed in exasperation._

 _"_ _There is a limit to how weak a person is. Terrible control over his IS and ultra-sensitive skin… All he's good for is his tall physiques and his delinquent looks."_

 ** _-End of Flashback-_**

Aside from his lack of skills in IS, Chifuyu thought there was something about Satoshi Kazuki that bothered her. No family, or any siblings, yet he had a personal IS. Only people who were from a company or a representative of a country gained rights to have their personal IS. But this kid had no affiliation to any company, nor was he a representative of any country.

He was suspicious in many ways, and Chifuyu would keep a close eye on this mysterious student, Satoshi Kazuki.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The class was over and it was recess. All the girls in the academy, first, second, and third year students gathered around the class and whispered amongst themselves,

"Look, it's him! The only man in the world who can pilot an IS!"

"I heard he accidently moved an IS during an entrance exam."

"I remember it being world news!"

"So he did come to this school!"

"And look! It's Satoshi-kun!"

"I didn't see him on the news, but apparently he can pilot an IS too."

"He's so cool!"

"Why don't you try talking to him?"

"Maybe I'll go…"

"Wait a minute, you're not trying to get ahead of us, are you?"

The classroom was rowdy with whispers and murmurs and they were all directed at Ichika and Kazuki.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Finally. Recess. I realized I had successfully went through the first few classes without making a scene.

I saw a mob of girls gathered outside the class all looking at Ichika and me. Were we really that interesting to watch?

But leaving the classroom with those people waiting outside was suicide.

I thought about going over to Ichika to talk, but I stopped myself just in time to see a girl walk up to Ichika with a rather grumpy face.

 _'_ _She's the girl that kept glancing at Ichika during class… hehehe'_

I chuckled a little realizing what was going on. I saw them exchange a few words then walk out together to go somewhere. Of course, I followed without them noticing.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I didn't expect Houki to walk up to me first and say something. I was going to go talk with Kazuki, but she took me to the rooftop to talk about something.

"What do you need?" I asked.

She seemed to fidget in her spot nervously. Why was there a need to be nervous? She was talking to her childhood friend. I didn't understand, but might as well ask.

"Mmm…" she moaned hesitantly.

"It's been 6 years since I've seen you. You have something to say to me, right?"

She sometimes stole a couple glances, but for some reason she was never able to look at me properly for more than a second.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly,

"Come to think of it, last year, you won the national kendo competition, right? Congratulations!"

She turned around with a surprised look,

"why do you know that?"

"Why? Well, I saw it in the newspaper…"

"… Why do you even read the newspaper…"

She was acting a little weird and was starting to not make sense. I decided to change the subject,

"Ahh also, it's been a while, but I knew it was Houki immediately."

"Eh?"

"Look, your hairstyle is even the same."

She looked away as if she was embarrassed. She also began playing with her hair,

"Heh… You remembered…?"

"Well I can't forget about my childhood friend at least."

She then gave me a look that showed a mixture of gladness and also dissatisfaction.

Then, the bell rang, signaling the next class to start.

I saw a couple of girls hiding by the staircase,

"Ahh, it rang…"

"I wonder who she is? Orimura-kun's acquaintance?"

They walked away towards their classrooms.

"We should go too." I advised her.

"I know…" Houki still seemed busy with her thoughts, so I went ahead. I didn't want to be late for class.

Shinonono Houki stood on the roof top, immersed in her own thoughts, taking in the things that her childhood friend said to her just then.

 _'_ _I should go back now too…'_

She turned around but her face slightly bumped into a flat chest.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I wasn't loo-"

She then jumped back in surprise when she saw a tall figure towering over her by a little more than a foot.

"Hoh? So you're Shinonono Houki?"

Houki noticed the short blonde hair and his bright azure eyes. She regained her composure and tried to remember his name,

"You're… If I remember correctly…"

"It's Satoshi Kazuki. Sup."

Houki slightly cocked an eyebrow.

 _'_ _He's acting a little differently from when he was in class… I thought he was going to act more like a delinquent.'_

She snapped out of her thought when he asked something, which completely caught her off guard,

"Hey Shinonono, do you like Ichika?"

Houki's face turned red like a tomato and was very flustered,

"W-W-What are you saying all of sudden?! I-I don't l-l-like him!"

"Ehh? But I saw you stealing glances at him during introductions."

"He's just a childhood friend! What's it matter to you anyway?!" Houki pointed her finger at Kazuki accusingly with a blush on her face.

Kazuki scratched the back of his head sheepishly,

"Well, I'm Ichika's friend, and you could say I'm also his wingman. Although he doesn't know that…"

"Wingman…?" Houki trailed off perplexedly.

"It means that I will be helping you two get together." Kazuki threw her a light grin.

"But why would you…?"

"I told you, I'm Ichika's friend."

Houki saw his toothy smile and slightly relaxed.

"I might not look like it, but I'm actually 18. I may not have experience with girls, but I know what I'm saying." He assured.

"Yeah right!" Houki let out a huff of disbelief.

Kazuki sighed and produced a card out of his blazer pocket. He raised it in front of the girl for her to see.

Houki eye's widened incredulously,

"N-No way! A-Ah, I'm so sorry, sempai. I was being rude to you."

Kazuki placed a hand on her shoulder and tapped friendly,

"Haha, don't worry about the small details! Just call me Kazuki. We're in the same 1st year. No need for 'sempai' stuff. I don't really get that stuff."

"But why did you sign up for the first year at your age?"

Kazuki scratched the back of his head sheepishly,

"Well… I have my reasons…"

She saw that it was a topic that Kazuki didn't want to talk about. So she nodded in understanding.

Houki then pulled her hand out for a handshake.

"Then call me Houki."

"Hmmm?"

"I said call me Houki."

"But Ichika should be the only one to call you that. Because that makes your relationship with him special!"

Kazuki was surprised at Houki's initiatives to let him call her by the first name.

Houki shook her head,

"We're only childhood friends… Besides, it's okay. Even though I met you just now, I feel that I could trust you enough to call me by my name."

 _'_ _This girl… naïve… trusting a stranger so easily. No wonder Tabaco's worried.'_

 _'_ _In any case, now that I've befriended her, looking after her is going to be a lot easier.'_

I mentally fist pumped for my accomplishment.

But Houki's scream snapped me out of my self-celebration.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"W-What's wrong, Houki?"

Then she turned to me angrily,

"Because of you, we're late for class!"

"Ah."

I forgot that the bell had rung more than 10 minutes ago. But it was only few minutes late for class; it wasn't a big deal.

"Bah! It's only 10 minutes. It's not a big deal!"

But Houki didn't listen, and she just ran for it.

 _'_ _What's up with her? Her face paling like it's the end of the world.'_

I luxuriously took my time to get to class.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Hoh? Late on the first day of school for MY class? Let's hear the reason for your tardiness, Satoshi."

Chifuyu cracked her knuckles with a dark expression.

My body froze, and the bag in my hand fell on the floor, making an awkward thud.

 _'_ _So that's why Houki ran like her life was depended on it.'_

I looked at the clock, and saw that I was 25 minutes late.

"Ah-noh, O-Orimura-sensei, there is a perfectly sound rea-"

"Enlighten me." She commanded.

It was now or never. Give her an answer she doesn't like, she'll kill me. Give her an answer that she wants to hear, she'll assume it's an excuse, so she'll kill me.

 _'_ _I have no choice but to do this…'_

Chifuyu raised an eyebrow when she saw me straighten up. I made eye contact with her and,

"Sensei… To tell you the truth, I got caught up looking for a beautiful flower that matches your beauty…"

There was a painfully long silence. But soon enough, there was an uproar among the class girls.

"EHHHHHH?!"

"N-No way, he just confessed to Chifuyu-sama!"

"Noooo, Satoshi-kun!"

"My Chifuyu-sama!"

The crowd was going crazy. But this was a little sacrifice that I needed to make to save my life. I closed my eyes with a victorious smirk.

 _'_ _Hmph. How do you like that, damn Chifuyu? I bet you're goin- Ah-reh?'_

My smirk fell into a frown of despair upon seeing the bulging temple and the murderous expression on her face.

Surprisingly, even though her expression was terrifying, her tone was the same,

"Is that so? That's interesting because Shinonono here says that you were talking to a girl."

I instantly looked at Houki who was sitting in her seat, perfectly fine. I cursed her mentally,

 _'_ _Houki, teme! You betrayed me!'_

But she outright looked away from me with a small "Hmph".

I felt a vein pop in my temple and I clenched my fist in anger,

 _'_ _That little… I'll get you back for that!'_

There were some murmurs again from the rest of the classmates.

"Phew… I thought he was being serious for a second."

"Thank goodness."

"I thought Chifuyu-sama was going to be a rival."

 **Crackle, Crackle, Crack.**

"I guess flirting around with girls is more important to you than my lesson, huh, Satoshi?"

I heard more cracking of Chifuyu's knuckles. I felt blood escape from my face and I paled. I also heard something break inside me. It was all over.

"Ch-Chifuyu-nee! It's just a first day of school, you should forgive him!"

That voice. Ohh that beautiful voice. It was Ichika. He was coming for my res-

"It's ORIMURA-SENSEI. And you stay out of this."

"H-Hai… I'm sorry." Ichika looked down in fear.

Well, so much for my rescue. At least he tried.

"Satoshi…"

I let out a silent gasp,

"H-Hai?"

"500 PUSH-UPS!"

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Honestly, when I tried to help Kazuki, I could have sworn there was a demon possessing Chifyuy-nee. She let out a scary aura that made me sweat bullets. Although I felt bad for him, I don't stand a chance against Chifuyu-nee.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Yamada Maya was in front of the class, making hand gestures on the hologram screen, displaying the core network system, and was explaining the mechanism in great detail.

In the meanwhile, Kazuki was doing pushups on the ground next to her with Chifuyu sat on his back, her legs crossed to add insult to injury.

"300 more to go, Satoshi. Don't you dare stop." She ordered with a satisfied smirk.

Kazuki grunted and panted, sweat flowing down his face. Nobody but Chifuyu noticed the bitter scowl on his face.

 _'_ _Why does everyone like sitting on me? First, Ene, then Tabaco, and now Chifuyu?! Give me a break!'_ Kazuki cursed at his fate.

"So, is there anyone with a question at this point?" Yamada asked, looking around the room for any raised hands.

She then saw one, and it was Orimura Ichika's hand.

"Yes! Orimura-kun!" she sounded rather enthusiastic, eager to answer her student's question.

"S-Sensei… I barely understand anything…" Ichika admitted shamefully.

Yamada pulled back slightly, astounded,

"Ehh? Everything?"

She looked towards the other students,

"Is there anyone else who doesn't understand something up to this point?"

There was no show of hands from the rest of the girls. But then, a tired voice coming from the floor next to her called her attention,

"Y-Yamada-sensei…"

Kazuki was still doing push-ups all while listening to everything.

"Satoshi-kun too?"

"Orimura."

Ichika noticed her sister calling him and straightened nervously. She didn't move from her spot, but she sent him an annoyed glare.

"Did you read the reference book before entering this school?"

"Erm… Is it the massive thick one?"

"That's it. It's written there that it's compulsory to read it."

Ichika scratched his head sheepishly,

"I made a mistake and threw it away…"

"You fool!"

Ichika jumped in his seat when Chifuyu scolded loudly.

"I'll issue you another copy later, memorize it within one week."

Ichika's jaw dropped onto his desk,

"Ah… One week for that thickness is a little…"

Chifuyu sent him a dark look and her eyes glinted for a second,

"I'm telling you to do it."

"… Hai, I'll do it…"

Chifuyu then tapped the back of Kazuki's head with her textbook provocatively,

"What about you, Satoshi? You're not going to tell me you threw yours out too, are you?"

Between pants and grunts,

"If it's the massive thick one, then no, I didn't throw it away."

"Then why don't you understand anything?"

For a second, Kazuki's face was neutral,

"I used it for target practice." He finished bitterly.

 **Crash!**

Chifuyu slammed her textbook onto the back of Kazuki's head, which seemed to have temporarily paralyzed him from his push-up position. But he continued to do push-ups, afraid of Chifuyu adding more push-ups just because he stopped.

"Satoshi."

"Yes, sensei?" that came out more sarcastic than what Kazuki had hoped.

"I will also give you another copy later. You will finish reading it and will memorize everything within 3 days."

"Why do I get less time!?" he retorted.

But Chifuyu ignored,

"And also, 500 more push-ups."

Again, there were murmurs of pity going around the room,

"As expected, Chifuyu-sama shows no mercy…"

"But she's so strict! Even to her own younger brother."

"But that's love! Ahh… I'm so jealous!"

"But poor Satoshi-kun!"

"He's been doing push-ups for an hour with Chifuyu-sama on top of him!"

"He must be really strong!"

While watching Kazuki do his endless push-ups, Chifuyu was in deep thought,

 _'_ _He's already on 400 after an hour with added weight. That's completely impossible for most strong females. Even I can't do 500 push-ups in two hours without the added weight.'_ Chifuyu stared at the back of the teen's head with such intensity; she could almost leave a mark.

 _'_ _Somebody just please kill me right now…'_ Kazuki cringed mentally.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Everyone had retired to their respective clubs and dorms, and there were no one left in the class room. Ichika had showed signs of apology and sympathy as he left, but Houki just left without even a glance.

Me, on the other hand was still stuck in class doing push-ups with the woman still sitting on my back.

"… 997… 998… 999… 1000!" I collapsed face first onto the floor instantly, and panted furiously.

"Yosh… good work. That's 1000 push-ups. Now…"

I then heard the sound of a dagger being unsheathed from its guard. She pressed her knees against my center back and brought the tip of the dagger close to my nape. I couldn't do anything in this position; I was at her complete mercy.

Between my pants, I chuckled,

"I see… You didn't make me do all those push-ups for nothing…"

Chifuyu didn't seem fazed by my nonchalant tone.

"No parents, no siblings, and a name with no connection. Not a country representative, yet you have a personal IS. You've got suspicious written all over you, Satoshi."

"You're over-thinking, Orimura-sensei. As the document says, I'm just a normal 18 year old who has trouble handling an IS."

"Don't play dumb with me, Satoshi. No fool in this world would give an amateur a personal IS. You made a mistake when you said you had terrible control over your IS."

"…"

"I don't know what you are here to do, but if you do anything to danger Shinonono Houki, my little brother or any of my students…"

The pressure of her knees on my back increased, and the dagger slightly poked my neck, making it bleed a little.

"I will eliminate you myself." Her voice was cold and full of venom.

I sighed, there was no point in denying it any further.

"-sigh- as expected of the former world IS champion, Orimura Chifuyu. You are a sharp one."

"Who sent you? What are you trying to achieve by infiltrating this academy?" she interrogated.

I turned my head around slightly and gave her a sheepish smile,

"I'm really not supposed to say…"

Then, there was a vibrating sound coming from my pants pocket.

 _'_ _Shit! At a timing like this'_ I cursed inwardly, I knew fully well who that call was from.

Chifuyu, noticing the sound, dug her free hand into my pocket and pulled out my black cellphone.

She noticed the startled expression and the cold sweat on my face and smirked slightly.

"Answer it. If you do anything funny, your head is good as gone."

She pressed the call button, put it on speaker mode and placed it near my mouth while she had me pinned down.

 **"** **Ya-ho! Kazu-chan! Your classes are finished by now, right? How was it? Did you enjoy it?"**

Chifuyu's eyes widened as she instantly recognized who the voice belonged to.

I had no choice but to answer it normally,

"Ah. It's finished for today. Why are you even calling? It's only been a few hours since I left. Couldn't you have waited a few more hours?"

 **"** **Mmmm… That's true, but…"**

She became quiet after. And I knew why.

I chuckled lightly,

"Don't worry. Houki's doing just fine. And so is Ichika. I talked to them and they seemed to be well and kicking."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

When she heard the voice over the phone, Chifuyu couldn't help but be immersed in this conversation.

 _'This voice... It's Tabane's!_ _Just what's his connection to her? to think she'd speak so freely with another person… Just who is he?"_

Her head was flooding with millions of question, but she waited patiently as the conversation progressed.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

 **"** **Kazu-chan, I…** "

I couldn't help but smile slightly,

"You don't have to say anything. I promised to protect them both. I chose to do it."

What followed was a silent Tabaco.

"Anyways. I'm ending the call. Stop staring at your computer screen and go do something fun."

Then, click, Chifuyu ended the call.

I noticed that the woman on top of me had gone silent as well,

"Y-You… Tabane sent you here? To look after them?"

She slowly removed the dagger from my neck and she loosened the pressure on my back. I stood up and whipped the dust off of my uniform.

"Who knows? If you want to trust those words, that's up to you to decide, Chifuyu-san."

I began walking away, I needed a shower and some sleep.

"Wait, Satoshi."

I stopped, my back against her. I didn't want her to see the terrified expression on my face at the moment.

"At least answer me this… Just who are you to Shinonono Tabane?"

The question caught me off guard. I've never really given much thought about that. It was a question I didn't know how to answer. But I presumed it was along the lines of what I was thinking.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

When Chifuyu asked that last question, she saw Kazuki stand still in his spot silently for a couple seconds, as if he was thinking up an answer.

"I don't know." He said finally.

But of course, Chifuyu was very dissatisfied with that.

"That's not an answer."

"I don't know the answer to that question. But for now…"

Chifuyu's eyes widened when she saw Kazuki turn around with a wistful smile,

"I'm simply here to grant the wish of an older sister."

Chifuyu found herself at a loss of words. She stared into the azure eyes of the blonde teen, but their eye contact broke when Kazuki turned to leave.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow, Orimura-sensei." he waved a hand, and he slid the classroom door shut.

"Wait! Kazuki!" she yelled out, but was too late as he was already gone.

Chifuyu ran up to the door and slammed the door open to see nothing but an empty corridor.

"…"

She just stood there, the hallway painted orange with the color of the sunset emitting through the window from the horizon.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

I leaned on the dorm door that was labeled 1025 and panted furiously.

 _'_ _Uwah! That was super scary! Orimura Chifuyu… For thou art mine worst enemy, I wish to see thee no more henceforth.'_

I was oddly poetic at times like this. But I decided not to give too much thought to it.

I shoved my hand into my pocket-

Wait, speaking of pockets, where's my cellphone?

Then it hit me faster than a bullet,

 _'Kahh! Chifuyu still has my phone! That's soo embarrassing! It's worse because I tried to act cool by saying all those things!'_

I covered my red face in absolute humiliation. If there was a small hole anywhere, I would make that my life time residence in a blink of an eye.

Anyway. I shook the embarrassment off. I would just go see her tomorrow and ask for my cellphone back like a normal student. No problem.

I pulled out a scrunched up piece of paper from my pocket and read it out loud,

"1025… This must be the room…"

I opened the door and was surprised to notice that it was unlocked.

I couldn't help but let out a gasp of amazement. The room was like that of a 5 star hotel room; 2 single beds, 2 sets of computer, a small but organized and clean kitchen, a large balcony, and a small section of the wall filled with books. If there was such thing as a 6 star hotel, then this would be close to it.

But I didn't give a damn; I needed a shower, badly, and some sleep. I unbuttoned my white blazer and threw it on the bed on the left side. I took my white long sleeve and my tie off as well, and chucked them on my bed. I assumed it was okay to take them all off because I prepared something underneath.

I wore a black compression long sleeve **(A/N: google it)** , those that muscle builders usually use. It was useful in hiding my prosthetic. That being said, however, the abdominal muscles, in particular, were very well defined by the tightness of the shirt. Normally, I wouldn't walk around like this. But since I was alone in the room, I decided, why not?

 _'_ _Meh. It's not like anyone's going to see.'_

While I wore the compression long sleeve on the top, I kept the white uniform pants on, because I had nothing under it to hide my prosthetic legs. And keeping my leather glove on became more of a habit; I barely notice the difference between having it on or off.

 _'_ _Now, let's see how good the bathroom is…'_ I excitedly reached for the door knob to the bathroom, but I was surprised to find that it opened inward by itself… Wait a second… More like, there was someone standing naked in the bathroom.

I slightly tilted my head down to see Houki with a long towel covering most of her front. I couldn't tell if it was the hot steam from the shower, but her face was flushed red when I saw her.

…

That second of awkward silence. It was funny; I had a feeling that something similar had happened before.

That wasn't important right now. I had to neutralize this situation with the utmost delicacy.

"Y-Yo, Houki. Fancy seeing you here…"

* * *

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

* * *

The mob of girls who were following Kazuki all gathered around room 1025.

"Heh? So this is where Satoshi-kun's room is."

"Good information, get!"

Then suddenly, the door burst opened and Kazuki flew out of the room, crashing into the wall opposite of it. With the long bath towel covering her and a wooden sword in her hand, Houki walked up to the door with a furious blush and slammed the door shut.

"Kyahh!"

"W-What was that just now?!"

"Satoshi-kun just got sent flying out of his room!"

"Kyah! Look! Satoshi-kun's wearing a tight shirt!"

"Look at his body, it's so hot!"

"Kyahh!"

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I rubbed the back of my head painfully and grunted,

 _'_ _Ah. Now I remember. This happened with Tabaco…'_

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

But dang that wooden sword hurt.

Then I noticed the squeals of the girls around me and saw that there were at least 30 of them gathered around my room, all wearing very thin, loose, and dangerously revealing pajamas.

I quickly walked up and banged on the door with an open palm.

"Oi, Houki, teme! First you betray me, then smack me across the face with a wooden sword, and now you kick me out of my own room?"

There was no response.

"Is this how you act towards your wingman?! I'll tell everyone on you!" I warned cheekily.

I turned around and looked at all the girls with a mischievous smirk,

"Hey listen everyone! Shinonono Houki likes-"

Then, without a warning I was pulled in forcefully, and the door closed behind me, leaving many disappointed girls outside.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki and Kazuki were both sitting on their own bed, each of them facing away from each other awkwardly.

Houki was already in her black and white dojo like outfit, which was presumably her pajama. But Kazuki was still in his uniform pants and his compression long sleeves.

"Neh, Houki."

She remained quiet.

"Houki~" he tried saying her name a little more playfully, but she continued to ignore him.

"C'mon, Houki… I know it's my fault for not knocking, but that was just an unfortunate accident, right?"

Seeing that the girl still hadn't reacted to him, he continued in a more sincere tone,

"So… Erm… what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry. So don't be so angry at me, hm?"

Houki finally spoke, having finished tying her trademark hair ribbon. She sighed,

"So, you're saying you're my roommate?"

Kazuki sighed in relief,

"Yeah, looks like it."

"What are you after?"

"Huh?"

She turned around and gave Kazuki a suspicious look.

"I'm asking, what you're up to! Males and females don't share the same rooms after they turn 7! It's common sense!"

But she quickly turned away hastily with a little heat on her face,

"And put some clothes on!"

Kazuki scratched the back of his head dumbly,

"Which era's common sense is that from…?"

He put a blazer over himself,

"But, actually, I do agree a teen male and a female sharing the same room might be a problem…?"

Then, Houki's frown deepened,

"You didn't ask to be placed in the same room with me, did you?"

"Don't be stupid! Like I'll do something like that."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

The misunderstanding was real in this girl.

 _'_ _But that being said, I'm glad I'm in the same room. This makes looking after her much easier.'_

But when I said the word 'stupid', Houki charged at me with her wooden sword, a tick mark forming on her forehead. She swung down on my head, but I stopped it midway with both my hands clasped together. Cold sweat ran down my forehead and I looked at her dark expression nervously.

"S-Stupid…? I see… I see you're very fond of making fun of me, aren't you, Satoshi-sempai…"

I laughed nervously,

"Hahaha… Don't be so cold! Satoshi-sempai? It's Kazuki!"

But then, I heard the door open behind me and three girls peeked in,

"Wahh! Shinonono-san, so bold!"

"Don't go trying to have an unfair start!"

I heard Houki gasp and saw her slightly turn red. She quickly released me from the current position, I sighed in relief.

"Oh too bad, it's already over."

"It was just about to get better."

Houki quickly went over to the door and closed it, her back leaning against the door.

For some reason, she was panting heavily. She then let out a long breath and regained her composure.

"Kazuki!"

I straightened slightly at her loud voice,

"Y-Yeah?"

"Since we're going to live in the same room, well you see… I think we need some rules."

"Rules?" I repeated.

She continued,

"Firstly, about shower usage hours. I'll use it from 7 to 8. You can use it from 8 to 9."

I moaned ponderously,

"Mmmm, but I like taking an early shower…"

"So you're asking me to stay dirty after club activities?"

"By club, you mean kendo? But I thought they had showers in the clubroom and the changing rooms…"

"I really don't feel relaxed if I don't use the one in my room…" she retorted quietly.

I placed a finger on my chin in thought for a second. Thinking about the options and my current circumstances.

 _'_ _It would be bad if Houki accidently sees my prosthetics… Plus, unlike others, she seems like a sharp person, so she would realize something is wrong with my right arm and my left leg…'_

Then, I came up with a single solution.

"Well, then there's no helping it… I'll just use the shower in the changing room, and I'll change while I'm there too."

Houki then frowned slightly in guilt,

"A-Ah, you don't have to go that far… If you need the early shower, then I don't mind taking one in the clubroom…"

I shook my hand carelessly,

"Nah, it's okay. I'd feel more comfortable changing when no one's looking. Besides, you wouldn't want a guy using the same shower."

Houki slightly hesitated,

"T-That's…"

I opened the wardrobe door and to my satisfaction saw a lot of new sets of school uniform that was for my size, and I saw fresh stacks of the same compression long sleeve brand I was using.

I let a sigh of astonishment escape my mouth,

"Hmm… Looks like the schools kept their side of the deal."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself."

I took out a clean compression long sleeve and the uniform pants and headed for the door,

"Anyway, I'll be back in about an hour."

"An hour to take a shower?"

I complained with a mock pout,

"Leave me alone. I'm just that kind of a person."

Then I saw a small smile creep up her face.

"I see… Alright then."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Houki watched as Kazuki left with the towel, and extra clothing, taking off his blazer as he left.

 _'_ _Does he intend to sleep in that tight shirt and his uniform pants?'_

Unable to fight off the curiosity, she snuck towards Kazuki's wardrobe and took a look inside, and to her surprise, saw multiple sets of the same uniform and the black long sleeves.

 _'_ _Woah… It's full of the same clothing…'_

She closed the wardrobe and walked over to her own bed. But then she saw Kazuki's blazer and white shirt sprawled out all over his bed.

"Jeeez… at least clean after yourself." She complained to herself as she picked them up and folded them into perfect squares. A thought then crossed her mind, and she slightly looked down,

 _'_ _I was going to apologize to him for lying to the teacher about what happened… But I only ended up hitting him and making him shower somewhere else…'_

She sighed in regret.

But then she noticed a stain on the back collar of the white blazer.

 _'_ _Blood…?'_

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. When Houki opened it, Orimura Chifuyu was standing there with a white tracksuit on.

"Orimura-sensei?"

"I heard Satoshi was roomed here… Is he here?"

Houki sweat dropped in fear,

"A-Ah, if it's Satoshi, he's not here…"

Instantly, her expression darkened,

"Wandering around the school without letting me know? What time does he think it is?"

 _'_ _Oh no! Kazuki's going to get into trouble again because of me. If I don't do something…'_

Houki clenched her fist tightly and mustered as much courage as she could.

"No, that's not it, Orimura-sensei! He's gone to the male changing room to take a shower and change."

Chifuyu only frowned,

"Then he can do it in his own room! When I find him, I'm going to-"

She was about to leave in order to drag Kazuki back to the dorm, but Houki stopped her,

"P-Please wait, Orimura-sensei! Satoshi was… Kazuki was just looking out for me…"

Chifuyu cocked an eyebrow,

"I'm listening."

Houki knew this was her chance to take back her errors.

"He thought that I would feel uncomfortable using the same shower and so he decided to take a shower in the changing room everyday."

Chifuyu crossed her arms thoughtfully.

"So, please don't punish him for it!" Houki bent her upper half and slightly bowed.

Chifuyu let a small smile form on her lips,

"Here, Shinonono."

Houki looked up, but was surprised to see a black cellphone flying into her hands.

"Orimura-sensei, this is…?"

"It's Kazuki's phone. I came to return it to him. I confiscated it from him during class."

Houki looked at the design. It was a simple phone, and to any person, it was a plain phone.

Chifuyu turned to leave,

"Well, I did what I came here for."

"O-Orimura-sensei! Also… This afternoon, about the reason why Kazuki was late to class…"

Then Chifuyu cut her off,

"I know. Don't worry about it, Shinonono. You heard that idiot too, right? He wasn't going to tell me the truth anyway. So he won't think badly about it."

Houki slightly blushed,

"I-I'm not worried about that at all! I just felt guilty, that's all!"

She heard Chifuyu chuckle,

"I see. Anyway, don't stay up for too long."

With that she left, and Houki was left alone in the room with Kazuki's phone.

 _'_ _Now that I think about it, he didn't mention my name when he was being scolded to cover for me…'_

"Oh well… I guess I'll make some tea while he's gone. Maybe he'll like some too…"

* * *

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

* * *

It was a nice quick walk to the changing room. About 5 minutes from the classrooms and 10 minutes from the dorms.

The boys' changing room was large; in fact, I was surprised they had changing room for boys.

I took off the glove on my right hand, my pants, and compression long sleeve and entered the shower.

I took a look at my black metal bionic arm. Its structure was very sophisticated. The shape was made so that it imitated the structure of a human muscle. It wasn't a single layer of metal, but it was layered with thinner layers beneath which gave it the proper shape of a human arm. The same went for my bionic legs. The machinery was so complex, even I didn't understand fully how they worked.

Between the tiny gaps in the bicep area, I could see some of the circuits, the rotating cogs. And whenever In the tiny gaps in the bicep area, I could see some of the cimechanical hiss sound, like a piston. The sound was quiet enough for the clothes on top to snuff it out.

This was no time to be awestruck at the shape of the metal limbs. There was something wrong with my bionic arm. After doing 1000 push-ups non-stop, there was no way it would be fine.

I muttered a few words,

 _'_ _Pressure Release Sequence 1'_

Then, with some sounds of metals shifting, the appearance of the arm changed slightly. It still maintained the shape of an arm, but the metal shoulder piece slightly opened, and other metal parts of the prosthetic shifted . Of course, the circuits and the machine parts were all waterproof, so the cold shower water didn't affect it.

Steam, then, gushed out of those open areas like a steam engine.

 _'_ _Just as I thought… Too much pressure was being built up in my arm.'_

With most of the pressure released, the open areas on my metal arm closed automatically, and I let the cold shower water cool down my metal arm.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"_ _You see, Tom, those prosthetic limbs aren't just for walking, picking things up, or shaking hands, but I've designed them for combat too!"_

 _"_ _Combat? How? And don't call me Tom!" I flicked my index finger against her forehead with some force in it. Of course with the metal finger._

 _"_ _Ouwee! They're fitted with anti-IS materials and it'll allow you to fight IS without using one yourself!"_

 _"_ _Heh… that's sounds too good to be true… What's the catch?"_

 _Tabaco's face brightened like a child on a discovery,_

 _"_ _As expected of my Tom! You see; they're run by a complex pressure system. Any exterior force, like a punch, will be absorbed by your bionic arm and will hold the force in as pressure. It can store up to 33 million psi! If you release all that into a punch, assuming that your fists are 0.043 square meters…"_

 _I understood mostly nothing. But I what I did get was the fact that this thing accumulated pressure and allowed me to release it for a deadly attack. I saw her place a finger on her lips ponderously; she actually seemed to be calculating…_

 _"…_ _mmm… you could create a force of about 1 billion kg with that punch!"_

 _"_ _Emm… I don't really know how much force that is… I need a comparable scale…"_

 _"_ _Ah, that's true… Well, it's about 50 times weaker than a hydrogen bomb, and about 38 times weaker than an atomic bomb!"_

 _I wish I could've seen the look on my face. It's got to have been funny. My eyes widened bigger than plates, my jaws were open in awe._

 _"_ _Woah… wasn't this expensive to make?"_

 _"_ _Nyahahaha, don't fret the small details! Ah, and also, instead of unleashing this pressure for an attack, you can release the pressure out from your arm in sequences to prevent build up. If you release too much pressure all at once, well, you know… KABOOM!"_

 _I sweat dropped at her childish antic,_

 _"_ _Jeez, I get it. Act your age, you cancer stick."_

 _She pouted for a second, but she continued in a serious tone,_

 _"_ _But also, letting out that much pressure all at once for even an attack is dangerous even for the user. So don't overdo it, Tom…"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

That was the only downside to these incredible prosthetics; it could build up pressure, and if I release it accidently, there could be grave consequences not only to others, but to myself as well.

I pulled on a fresh pair of the uniform pants and the compression top. I let out a sigh of comfort.

 _'_ _Now that I've finished cleaning myself up, let's go hit the deck…'_

But then I recalled what happened with Chifuyu and frowned at the memory.

 _'_ _That's right… She knows what I'm here for… Hope she's not the talkative type. If she is, things could become a pain… Well… things will work out when that happens, I'm sure…'_

With that nonchalant thought in mind, I walked away with a rather cheery mood.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Ah~! Green tea sure is relaxing~"

Houki had just finished her second cup of traditional green tea that she brought from home.

She then glanced at the clock and noticed that an hour had already passed.

 _'_ _He should be here soon…'_

She took the kettle on the kitchen counter and reached high up for the cupboard to get another cup,

 _'_ _Curse my small height! I can't reach!'_

Then, she turned to the chair just behind her and smirked.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I was back at the dorm hallway. No matter how many times I saw it, it was always awe-inspiring. I felt like some kind of a celebrity when I walked on a such high quality carpet.

I walked up to the door that was labeled 1025.

When I was just about to reach for the doorknob to open it, something came to my realization like lightening.

I smirked,

"Hmph. A man never falls for the same trick twice."

I raised my hand up to knock, but then, I heard something being knocked over and a glass shattering. Followed by those, I heard Houki's scream.

Without a second of hesitation, I burst through the door, and got into my fighting stance, prepared to give the perpetrator hell.

"Houki!?"

Houki was sat on the floor, her eyes wide. But that wasn't what surprised me. On the floor, there was a broken cup, and an empty kettle. The cloth she was wearing, soaked in the water that was probably in the kettle. If that was it, then there wouldn't have been a problem, however, Houki just happened to wear a thin dojo white top, and the water allowed her under garments to show through rather clearly. It was pink and white as well as slightly frilly. How very girly, I thought.

When she saw me burst through the door, she had this look of despair that even gave me the chills. But her face, soon enough, flushed red, and the next thing I noticed was a loud screech and something hard hitting me in the face.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was the first morning for everyone in the IS academy. For reasons that did not include Houki knocking me out cold with a wooden sword, I was slightly late for the morning breakfast. There were no one in line for the food anymore, and most of them were just finishing up.

However, the weirdest thing occurred to me when I found my black cellphone in my pocket. I thought it was in the hands of Chifuyu… But I guess I was wrong. I decided not to press on that matter because it was too much of a pain. I just thanked fate.

Then, I saw Houki, eating next to Ichika with a rather grumpy expression. I walked up to them,

"Yo, Ichika." I lightly tapped him on the back as I took the seat beside him.

Then I noticed a glare from Houki.

"…And Houki." I gave her a light smile, but she looked away with a "hmph."

"Hey, Kazuki. By the way, you okay? I heard you were knocked out this morning because of all those push-ups…" Ichika asked in a worried tone.

I sweat dropped, laughing uneasily,

"A-Ah, so you've heard… Well, you could say that…"

Houki then suddenly stood up, grabbing her tray of empty dishes,

"I'm going first." It was directed more towards Ichika, more like, my presence was ignored.

"A-Alright Houki. I'll see you later…" Ichika said, also with a feeling of unease. Maybe he felt the awkward mood too.

Once she was out of sight, Ichika leaned in and whispered,

"Did something happen between you and Houki? She seemed really grumpy this morning…"

I took a slurp from my ramen and sighed,

"Well, a lot of things happened yesterday… A lot of things…"

Ichika only hummed ponderously,

"Hmm… I see…" He nibbled on some fish and took a spoon full of rice.

"Ohh! Kazuki, this stuff's pretty good!"

"Right? The ramen here's not bad either!"

Then I remembered what I was going to talk about,

"Hey, by the way, how's it like rooming together with a girl. I bet you couldn't sleep last night because you were too excited." I lightly elbowed his side teasingly.

Just as I had expected, he lightly blushed and shook his head,

"N-No way… My room-mate just wouldn't leave me alone with the questions…"

"Don't act like you weren't happy!"

"S-Shut up!"

We exchanged a few laughs.

"How about you, Kazuki? Didn't you go through something similar?"

I let my head fall into my hands depressingly with a little shade of purple.

"If it would have ended with just that…"

Ichika sweat dropped,

"Looks like you had your share of tough time…"

Speaking of room-mates, I was also reminded to ask,

"Hey, by the way, I heard you and Houki were childhood friends? Guess you two go way back, huh?"

"Yeah. When we were in 1st grade, we started going to the same kendo dojo. Then we were in the same class until 4th grade. But I don't remember about the past too much…"

"Heh…" I trailed off with the noodle in my mouth.

 _'_ _Does he not know that Houki likes him? It's pretty obvious when you look at it….'_

I just shook it off as denseness. It was understandable since feelings cannot be really expressed without using words. At least that's what I believed.

Suddenly, there were two short claps like some kind of a coach signal. Ichika and I turned to the source of the sound to see Chifuyu with a white tracksuit.

"How long are you all going to spend eating? Take in your meals with speed and efficiency!"

 _'_ _Geh… Chifuyu again… She's always watching over the students. Wonder what she's doing here…'_

"I'm the dorm supervisor for first years. If you come late to school, I'll make you do 10 laps around the school track."

Right in that moment, my hand slipped and I dropped my metal chopstick making a rather loud ringing sound in the cafeteria.

Everyone stared at me for a second, but all the girls in the cafeteria quickly continued with their own food, finished their plates and stormed off to their dorms with panicked expressions.

"Huh? What's wrong, Kazuki?" Ichika noticed the shocked expression on my face.

"Haha, it's nothing, really. What a klutz I am, I dropped my chopsticks."

 _'_ _Don't screw around with me! First, she's my homeroom teacher, and now the dorm supervisor?!'_ I mentally pulled down on my hair in frustration.

"Oi, Orimura, Satoshi! You're going to be late! Do you really want to do 10 laps that badly?" Chifuyu came stomping towards us with her imposing figure.

Ichika, taking his last bite, stood up with his tray hastily,

"H-Hai! I'll see you in class, Kazuki."

"A-Ah, Ichika, wait!"

So far, I only had about 5 strands of the noodle of my ramen, and I thought I was going to enjoy it nice and slowly. But it looked like that wasn't going to happen. My hand reached out for his shirt, but just missed by a centimeter.

He gave me an apologetic smile and scuttled out of there like a squirrel.

I was left alone with Chifuyu, to my great detest.

"Satoshi! You're still eating? Get going already!"

"But sensei… I just got here…"

"No excuses. I will not tolerate any more tardiness from you, especially."

"That's not fair…"

"Life isn't fair. You have 10 seconds."

I shook it off nonchalantly and continued slurping on my tasty ramen.

 _'_ _Eh… 15 laps shouldn't be a problem. I should be able to handle about 40 miles."_

As if she was reading my thoughts, she smirked,

"Did I mention that the circumference of the campus is about 4 miles?"

I just sat there with a lazy expression and slurped slowly on my ramen,

 _'_ _4 miles? Let's see then… the total distance of 15 laps would be…'_

My eyes widened at the sheer stupidity, I spat out the contents in my mouth,

"Sensei, do you know what you're saying?!"

She once again smirked slyly,

"That's right. 60 miles total, more than twice the distance of a marathon."

This woman wasn't kidding. Those reddish brown eyes; they showed me that she was determined to make me do it. What made her so sure that I would be able to manage that distance, even though I clearly couldn't?

"What's with that face? You did 1000 push-ups the other day without much trouble. You should be able to do 60 miles, no?"

Oh, that's why. However, it seemed like she didn't know the abnormality of my body, especially these bionic limbs.

"You have 5 seconds…"

"Y-You're bluffing! You're just saying that to scare me!"

She leaned in closer to my ears and whispered,

"Try me."

I felt chill creep up from the backbone to my neck and felt my hair stand up.

I didn't care if had to waste food, I needed to get out of here.

When Chifuyu whispered the words directly into Kazuki's ears, she saw Kazuki's blonde hair stand up drastically. He frantically took his bowl of ramen, threw it out and ran away.

Chifuyu only stood there with a small smile on her face.

 _'_ _Satosho Kazuki, huh?'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The day had approached the afternoon, and my stomach was also approaching a limit.

I sat, face down on my desk with spirits floating near my head,

"I'm so hungry…"

But nobody would understand me. Having to be late for breakfast because I was unconscious due to Houki hitting me in the face with a wooden sword just because I saw her bra underneath her clothes, which was not even my fault.

But the class only continued to move forward, much to my annoyance.

"We will now decide on who will be the class representative, who will be competing in the inter-class tournament. The class representative will not only just compete in the tournament, but attend to student council meetings as well as committee meetings. You can consider it something like a class leader."

Chifuyu set all her paper work and textbooks aside. I was assuming it was an important decision. Not that I really cared about it.

"Self-nomination or nominating of others, either is fine. Are there any candidates?"

I was not going to be nominated. Nope. There was no way. I crossed everything that I could and prayed.

But then, one of the classmates raised her hand,

"Hai, I recommend Satoshi-kun."

 _'_ _Didn't work!'_ I screamed internally and cursed at fate once again.

Another raised her hand,

"I agree on that too."

Then another stood up,

"I recommend Orimura-kun."

"Me too!"

Ichika seemed surprised and slightly unsure,

"E-Eh? Me?"

There were equal amount of people who wanted to support me and Ichika to be the class rep, and that was probably because we were boys.

 _'_ _Yes! All I have to do now is…'_

I stood up and was about to say something, but suddenly, the blonde girl across from me stood up abruptly in dissatisfaction.

"I can't acknowledge that!"

Everyone turned to her curiously.

"This type of selection is unacceptable! Having a man as our class representative is nothing more than a shame! Do you ask me, Cecilia Alcott, to bear that shame for a whole year?"

This girl, Cecilia Alcott, then started flailing her hand and went into talking about culture,

"Living in such a country with an underdeveloped level of culture is an unbearable pain to me already!"

That didn't seem to sit well with Ichika, and he slightly glared at the girl,

"Britain has so few things to pride itself with. How many times has your country won the annual worst cuisine award?"

Of course, this added fuel to the fire,

"We have delicious dishes! Plenty of them! You! Are you insulting my country?"

The tension didn't seem to fall, but only kept on rising as the silence took over. However…

"…Pff!"

I couldn't hold back the laughter pent up inside. I let out a tiny snicker, and that caused everyone to turn to me with confused expressions. Ichika turned to me with a look that told me that he didn't understand what was going on, but the gold haired girl looked furious.

"And you! What's so funny?! If you have something to say, please say it loud and clear!"

I covered the top half of my face with my gloved hand,

"Pff… No it's –snort- nothing… really."

I must have sounded really stupid, trying to speak while almost bursting out in laughter.

The blonde girl's face was flushed red with embarrassment and anger,

"That's it! I challenge you two to a duel!"

"Yeah, bring it on. It's a lot easier than debating." Ichika agreed.

That brought the attention back to Alcott and Ichika, and unfortunately, now me as well.

"Ah, wai-"

"If any of you dare lose on purpose, I will make you my servant, no, worse, my slave!"

Watching all this with a smirk and her arms crossed, Chifuyu then exclaimed,

"So that settles it. The battle will be held next Monday. It will take place at the 3rd Arena. Orimura, Alcott, and Satoshi, make sure you guys prepare well.

Chifuyu saw my hand up, and demanded in an annoyed tone.

"What is it, Satoshi."

"Can I be withdrawn from this duel?"

"Ehhhhhhhh…"

The whole class deadpanned disappointingly.

The gold haired girl was now even angrier and turned to me with her finger pointing accusingly,

"You! Are you running away?! I told you, I'll make you my slave!"

"I'll be happy to be your slave. If it'll get me off the class rep position." I answered simply.

Her face turned red and slightly stepped back,

"H-H-Happy? A-Are you a p-pervert?!"

 _'_ _Why does it turn out like that!'_ I retorted to myself.

But for now, I had no choice but to swallow the humiliation for now. An IS battle was too much of a pain, also, I didn't like showing other people the capability of my IS and for good reason.

"Anyway. Just withdraw me from the battle. I'll be your servant, slave, or whatev-"

"Not happening."

I was cut off by Chifuyu who now had a scowl on her face. She was smirking just a second ago! Where did that go all of a sudden!?

"But Orimura-sensei-"

I tried to complain, but she let out a demonic aura and her eyes glinted red. She also cracked her knuckles in the process to add to her intimidation.

"That wasn't a request." Her voice was cold and merciless. She didn't make room for any arguments; not even a peep.

I sighed with a small tick on my forehead.

 _'_ _This woman… She thinks she can make people do whatever she wants. I'll show her! Next time!'_

Alcott had lost the hue of redness on her face and seemed to be satisfied that I was forced into the duel.

I sat back on my seat with another heavy sigh.

 _'_ _What a pain…'_

I looked up from my desk and asked in an annoyed tone,

"How much of a handicap do you want?"

Alcott's eyes widened in confusion. That was the same reaction for everyone else in the class, including Chifuyu.

"Huh?"

Silence. But an eruption of giggles and laughter followed.

Some girls next to me were kind enough to explain what was funny with what I said.

"Satoshi-kun, are you being serious?"

"Men are stronger than women, but that was before the IS was invented, silly!"

"People say if men and women were to have a war, it wouldn't even last 3 days!"

Alcott also laughed along,

"It is more like I should be the one to give you a handicap. You sure do have a great sense of humor, Satoshi-san."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Chifuyu didn't seem to laugh however, she only stared at Kazuki with a serious expression, something bothering her thought.

"It seems like you guys are misunderstanding something…"

Every girl turned to Kazuki with a curious look. What could he possibly mean? Wasn't it obvious that women were way stronger than men? Houki also briefly glanced back at Kazuki with a little curiosity.

Cecilia, slightly daunted by his tone, demanded,

"W-What do mean by a misunderstanding?"

Kazuki then revealed a devious smile,

"I didn't ask you to handicap me because you're a girl. I'm asking Ichika the same thing."

All the girls gasped at the revelation and the meaning behind Kazuki's words.

"Eh? What? What's going on?" Ichika searched around the room for an explanation.

Chifuyu smirked amusedly,

"In other words, whether or not they are male of female, you're saying that they need the handicap in order to fight you?"

Cecelia slammed her hands on the desk,

"Y-You're calling me, Cecelia Alcott, IS representative candidate of England, weak?!"

The girls gasped again in awe and admiration,

"Woah! She's a representative candidate!"

"That means she must have her personal IS."

"She must be really strong!"

One of the girls tugged on Kazuki's shirt and advised him uneasily,

"Satoshi-kun, it's not too late to take that handicap back. She's a representative candidate…"

He only smiled confidently,

"It's okay. Even with those handicap, they still won't be able to win."

"Ehh… you're underestimating too much…"

A tick mark appeared on Cecilia and even Ichika and each exclaimed hot-headedly.

"Hmph! Fine by me! I'll make you regret those words!"

"I won't hold back, Kazuki, even if you are my friend!"


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The class continued after that huge feud. It was near end of the class period. The instructors were just about to wrap up the current topic and move on to the next one, but Chifuyu walked up to Ichika,

"Orimura, regarding your IS. It will require time to make it operational."

Ichika didn't really seem to know what she was talking about,

"Heh?"

"There are no unassigned units, so the school will order a personal IS exclusively for your use."

There were murmurs of awe going around the class,

"Ehhh? A personal IS?"

"For a freshman?"

"In other words, the government is already pitching in?"

"Lucky! I want one too!"

Ichika wondered,

"Is having a personal IS that big of a deal?"

Then, his wonder was interrupted when Cecilia popped out in front of him suddenly,

"I'm glad to hear the news!"

She pointed towards Ichika,

"This class representative cup! Who will win is obvious, but it would be unfair for me to be in my personal unit and you're not."

"But what's so great about having one of them?"

Cecilia seemed to have expected, or anticipated the question. She smirked proudly,

"Were you not aware? Then allow me to educate you. There are only 467 IS units in the world, and only the elite of elites have personal IS units!"

Ichika slightly gaped,

"Only 467 units?"

Then, a random girl came up beside him and added,

"The core technology, key to IS units, has not been disclosed at all. Currently there are 467 IS units in the world. All the cores inside them were made by professor Shinonono Tabane.

Ichika turned towards his childhood friend in thought,

 _'_ _That's Houki's older sister…'_

The girl continued,

"The technology behind the core is a complete black box. Nobody besides Professor Shinonono can make them. But the professor refuses to make more than a set number of cores."

Kazuki noticed the uncomfortable look on Houki's face, but he only went back to day dreaming.

The other girls also added,

"Nations, companies, and organizations have cores allocated to them and are having to make do with what's provided for research and development."

Chifuyu then concluded,

"Fundamentally speaking, personal IS are given only to those who work for nations or belong to companies. But given your unique status, a personal IS will be prepared in the interest of data collection."

Chifuyu gave Ichika one final look of confirmation,

"So, do you understand your position?"

He answered uneasily,

"K-Kind of…"

In the meanwhile, Kazuki was sitting down with his face on his desk. He seemed mildly bored.

Then, one of the girls in the class raised her hand for a question,

"Um, sensei. Is Shinonono-san related professor Shinonono?"

Chfuyu answered normally,

"That's right. Shinonono is her younger sister."

The crowd erupted in amazement and surprise,

"Ehhhhh!?"

"Really? She's your older sister?"

"Isn't professor Shinonono missing, and aren't nations and companies around the world searching for her?"

"I have nothing to do with that person!" Houki suddenly exclaimed exasperatedly.

She closed her eyes momentarily, only to open them up with a stern expression,

"I am not that person. There is nothing I can tell you."

The class fell silent after that cold remark.

 _'_ _Wahh… Awkward…'_ Kazuki observed Houki from the back seat with a lazy expression.

Chifuyu also kept her eyes closed thoughtfully, but with a fresh mind, opened them up,

"Yamada-sensei, the class, please."

Yamada was brought back from the strange atmosphere,

"H-Hai, We'll now wrap some things up…"

While Yamada was busy picking up where the class left off, Ichika looked at Houki in concern,

 _'_ _Were Houki and Tabane-san on bad terms?'_

Kazuki rested his cheek on his hand and hummed understandingly as he watched Houki's demeanor carefully,

 _'_ _Hmm… I see what's going on.'_

* * *

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

* * *

The bell rang, and it was lunch recess.

Kazuki opted to leave the classroom, but a certain conversation from his fellow classmates rooted him on the spot.

"Hey, did you watch the news last night?"

"Yeah! It was about the Apeiron Tragedy, wasn't it? Just thinking about it gives me chills…"

"They found more bodies with number tattoos on their body."

Kazuki's hand instinctively reached for his chest to cover what's underneath his shirt.

"That's terrible… It's like… they're treating those people like animals…"

Kazuki couldn't take it anymore, so he stood up quietly and walked away.

"Houki! Let's go eat lunch!" Ichika walked over to the grumpy faced girl with a cheerful smile, but Houki kept her stare out into the window.

Ichika turned to the class as well and offered,

"Anybody want to come with us?"

"Hai, Hai, Hai!" The girl with the long sleeves raised her hand as high as she could.

The other two beside her also accepted the offer gratefully,

"We're coming! Give us a sec!"

"I brought lunch with me, but I'll go!"

Ichika smiled blissfully,

"It's nice to get along as classmates… Right? Don't you agree, Houki?"

She looked away, and refused almost tiredly,

"I'll pass."

"Don't say that! Come on, let's go!" Ichika grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up from her seat.

"Hey! I said I won't go!" Houki seemed very reluctant, and her tone showed it.

"What? You don't want to walk? Do you need a piggyback ride?" Ichika teased with a smile.

Houki slightly turned red, but violently tried to force her wrist out of his grip.

"Let go!"

She ended up body-checking him, pushing him back a meter. Ichika, surprised by the push, almost fell. Houki's eyes widened when she realized what she had done.

But luckily for Ichika, there was someone tall standing behind him to completely prevent him from falling.

Ichika, confused as to why he didn't fall, turned around to see Kazuki, his blue eyes slightly showing irritation. That wasn't directed at Ichika, but more to Houki.

"T-Thanks Kazuki…"

Kazuki gave him a quick friendly smile, as if telling him,

 _'_ _No problem.'_

Houki inwardly sighed in relief for the fact that Kazuki was there to prevent the worsening of the situation.

But then, Kazuki spoke in an unusual tone, which surprised Houki and also Ichika as well.

"Shinonono. I understand you're angry and all, but I can't let you take your anger out on your own childhood friend."

His tone was harsh and unforgiving. You could almost call it strict. And this was very unlikely of Kazuki. At least that's what Ichika and Houki thought.

"…" Houki slightly looked down guiltily.

"It's okay Kazuki, she didn't mean to-"

But Kazuki only continued harshly,

"Don't involve others into your personal matters."

Houki's hands formed a fist and they shook in anger.

"This has nothing to do with you…" she finally said in a low and shaky voice.

She finally burst out in pure frustration and anger; her emotions flooded out of her,

"This has nothing to do with you! Whether we are childhood friends or not! You don't even know anything about me!"

Houki was very close to crying, her tears threatening to flood out of her marine colored eyes. Ichika's eyes widened. This was the first time he had ever seen her this stressed.

"K-Kazuki I think that's…" Ichika tried to convince Kazuki to stop, but Houki's state didn't faze him one bit.

"You're right. I don't know anything about you. But it doesn't take a genius to tell that what you're doing right now is-"

"Kazuki! That's enough!" Ichika took a step forward and gave Kazuki a glare, signaling him to stop.

Kazuki was slightly surprised, even though he did expect Ichika to intervene at some point from his harsh scolding. He listened to Ichika's rather upset request and stopped mid-sentence.

Ichika once again grabbed Houki's hand, and she didn't resist it this time.

"Let's go, Houki."

Houki's front hair covered most of her eyes, but for a second, Kazuki's eyes widened when he thought he saw tiny flow of tears from her eyes as Ichika took her away.

Kazuki sighed heavily and his face returned to his usual lazy expression.

* * *

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

* * *

"Did that calm you down a little, Houki?"

Houki and Ichika were sat on one of the sofa tables integrated by a wall, and Houki was slurping on her ramen with an angry, but calmer expression. While she was eating ramen, Ichika had the usual rice, and grilled fish set.

"…" She didn't say anything. She only continued to slurp with a rather grumpy face.

Ichika slightly chuckled,

"You've always been like that. Whenever you were angry, you'd always feel better after eating your favorite dish."

"…shut up…" She pouted with a little blush.

She then lay down her chopsticks and then slightly bowed,

"I'm sorry about earlier, Ichika… Even though you were just looking out for me…"

Ichika's smile widened, glad that she finally opened up.

"Don't worry about that! I'm your childhood friend. I can take at least that much!"

Houki let a grin form,

"I see."

Ichika changed subjects,

"Neh, Houki. Could you teach me about IS? At this rate, I feel like I'll lose the upcoming duel without being able to put up a fight at all…"

"It's your fault for being provoked like that."

"But please, I beg you!" Ichika put his hands together and bowed slightly.

Houki sighed,

"Fine. Come to the Kendo club afterschool, we'll start from there."

Ichika frowned,

"Eh? Kendo Club? Why?"

"Just come." She ordered.

"H-Hai…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The sun was just about setting, and the sky was painted orange. Ichika dragged himself out of the Dojo because he was too exhausted to even walk properly.

 _'_ _Man… Houki shows no mercy… Well, this is to be expected when I haven't held a sword for more than 3 years...'_

On his way out however, he saw a tall familiar individual leaning back against the dojo building outside.

"Kazuki?"

When he registered Ichika's voice, he turned to Ichika with his usual friendly smiles. He walked over,

"Yo. Seems like Houki's given you quite the pounding."

Ichika slightly tilted his head in curiosity,

"How'd you know that?"

Kazuki scratched the back of his head sheepishly and looked across the horizon to view the sunset.

"I met her on the way. So I kind of guessed you were here too."

Ichika's expression slightly brightened,

"Oh! Does that mean you two made up?"

Kazuki sweat-dropped and looked away with a funky expression,

"Well… when I said 'yo, Houki,' she just walked past me without a word. You could say it's an improvement." He chuckled lightly.

Ichika frowned in concern,

"Kazuki…"

When Kazuki noticed the depressed look on Ichika's face, he tapped Ichika on the shoulder lightly with a toothy smile,

"What's with that face? Cheer up! Everything's going to be fine, really! It will work out somehow."

"I hope it does… because you're roomed with her right? It must be real awkward."

"Eh? Where'd you hear that from?"

"The rumors going around the girls in this school are no joke, dude."

My face slightly turned purple at the sheer imagination of the power of rumors of class girls.

"Anyway, what were you doing here?" Ichika inquired.

Kazuki then smirked and put his thumbs up,

"Well, I thought you might need some help learning about IS' functions since you're going up against a representative candidate."

Ichika asked in confusion,

"But why would you help your opponent? We're going to face off against each other soon."

Kazuki then slapped Ichika on the back,

"Don't be so cold! Even if we're going to be fighting each other, you're still my friend. When my friend's in trouble, it's only natural to help."

Ichika was genuinely moved by Kazuki's kindness, and he couldn't help but smile,

"You really are a kind and warm person, Kazuki… I wasn't so sure when you said those things to Houki, but now I'm sure. You were saying those things for her sake, weren't you?"

Kazuki laughed,  
"Haha! What're you saying all of a sudden? I'm not the kind of a person you think I am!" he teased, but Ichika only shook his head.

"That's not true. You might not realize it, but you really make for a good friend."

The two teens exchanged a few good laughs and Ichika told Kazuki of the things Houki had planned for him before tournament.

"So… Houki's going to have you attend the dojo everyday for 2 hours, huh?" Kazuki placed his finger on his chin in thought.

Ichika added uneasily,

"It didn't really look like she was going to teach me anything about IS. It looked more like I was going to be doing Kendo…"

"Then this is what I'll do…"

Ichika looked up when Kazuki gave him a look of determination. Kazuki let his hand out for what seemed like a sign of truce,

"Until the day of the tournament, after your sessions with Houki, I'll train you and teach you as much as I can about IS everyday for 3 hours."

Ichika slightly gasped,

"No way… Don't you have club activities?"

Kazuki gave him a thumb up,

"No worries, I'm in the 'go-home' club. I can skip it for a couple of days."

Ichika then erupted into laughter,

"Hahaha! That's true!"

Ichika took Kazuki's hands gratefully.

"Alright. I'll be in your care, Kazuki."

"Yosh! We begin IS training now!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki was back in her room, taking her early shower. She let the warm water fall freely onto her face and onto the rest of her body.

It is said that when one is in the showers, a person would often think back to what they did earlier in the day and reflect on it.

That was what Houki was doing. She looked up at the falling shower water blankly, and each droplets of water felt like they were suspended in slow motion.

She recalled to the events that happened this afternoon, and she slightly cringed,

 _'_ _Maybe I said too much…'_

 ** _"_** ** _This has nothing to do with you! Whether we are childhood friends or not! You don't even know anything about me!"_**

Those were the words she spoke to him before walking away with Ichika.

Houki looked down and pouted,

 _'_ _That jerk…'_

But her expression fell into a sad and concerned frown,

 _'_ _I wonder if he's mad? I did ignore him when I walked past him too…'_

Houki stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself with the large towel. She looked around to see no one in the room but her.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was already nightfall. I saw Ichika sprawled out onto the floor, already deep asleep.

I scratched my head in irritation.

"Kahh… How troublesome… He's out cold."

I picked him up and carried him on my back.

I already returned the training IS' back to the storage room. It's simple really. I had two training IS taken out for me and Ichika to use, and I explained a few things and showed him some of the most basic moves. Of course I didn't show him my personal IS. That would give away the surprise for the duel.

On my way to the dorm, I heard a sharp voice from behind me, which almost made me jump out of my skin,

"Satoshi. What time do you think it is?"

I stopped in my tracks, and Chifuyu approached from the dark with her flashlight, wearing her usual white tracksuit.

I was expecting a scowl on her face, but when she got closer, I saw a rare smile form on her features.

"Orimura-sensei?"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Chifuyu and Kazuki, carrying Ichika on his back, were walking side by side like old friends, which was strange because normally, Kazuki would stay wary of the woman beside him, but for some reason, he felt nothing of that sort towards Chifuyu at the moment, and they were talking quite normally.

"Thanks for letting me take out the training IS… We really needed those." Kazuki started, showing his share of gratitude towards the older woman.

Chifuyu chuckled,

"That's what I should be saying. Looks like my little brother's been causing you quite the trouble. Going as far as asking for your help."

She looked at Ichika's sleeping form on Kazuki's back and slightly felt at peace.

"That's not true, Orimura-sensei. I offered to help him."

"Hoh? Even though you two are going to be opponents?" she turned to him curiously.

"Well, he was worried about fighting the representative candidate, and since he didn't know anything about IS, I decided to give him some tips."

"People don't usually give tips for 3 hours." Chifuyu pointed out.

"Hah… So you were watching us…" Kazuki scratched his head awkwardly.

But he suddenly continued seriously, and Chifuyu fell silent,

"It's necessary. Not just for the upcoming duel, but for the future ahead of him. I can't be there to protect him all the time. At some point, there will be a time where he will need to protect himself and his friends without my help or yours."

Chifuyu felt something ominous when he said something about the possibility of him incapable of protecting others.

"Don't tell me you're-" she realized what Kazuki was implying, but was cut off,

"Don't jump to conclusions, sensei. That won't happen. Besides if I die before Houki does, Tabane's going to skin me alive." He lightly chuckled.

Chifuyu only remained silent at that answer, unable to think of the next thing to say.

By the time the two realized, they were in front of Ichika's dorm room.

Chifuyu knocked on the door, and a girl came out with her pajamas.

"Take this idiot to bed, will you?"

"Ah, H-Hai, Orimura-sensei."

Kazuki carefully handed her the sleeping teen and closed the room with a sigh.

"-sigh- a grown-up baby he is." Kazuki said as he cracked his neck and back sorely.

 _'_ _I guess I'll go to sleep too…'_ Kazuki turned to walk away, but he felt Chifuyu's hand grab his wrist.

"Satoshi, accompany me for a drink."

Kazuki's brain wasn't able to decipher the meaning behind her words. Accompany her for a drink? That was beyond Kazuki's capability to comprehend.

"Hah?! I-I mean… No can do, sensei. Even if it's the weekends tomorrow, it's still pretty late…"

"You're coming."

Then he felt a grab on his back collar of his blazer, and before he realized, he was being dragged away.

 _'_ _No way!'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki stared at the clock; it was already way past 9:00, and Kazuki still wasn't back in his room.

 _'_ _He must be angry… After all the things I did to him, there's no way he's not angry at me. I didn't even say sorry to him once…'_

She sat on her bed, while hugging her legs silently.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki was sat down on a small square mat on the floor just across from Chifuyu, who had a can of beer in her hand.

It was very awkward, at least for Kazuki because he just sat there silently, watching his teacher drink away her first can.

Chifuyu let out a sigh of comfort after a gulp of her fresh cold beer,

"Kyaah! You sure you don't want a drink?"

"Orimura-sensei, I'm a minor, you should know better…" I shook my hand in refusal.

"I'm talking about non-alcoholic drinks, you're 2 years too early for adult drinks, little brat."

I felt a temple bulge,

"Anyway… What did you want me in your room for? If anyone finds out that I'm in Orimura-sensei's-"

However, she didn't listen and interrupted,

"Oh and call me Chifuyu when we're alone, it just feels creepy when someone like you call me Orimura-sensei."

Another temple bulged,

"Heh… I see… But Orimura-sen…"

"Call me Chifuyu, if you know what's good for you."

There was her red glint again. I slapped myself in the forehead dumbly.

 _'_ _Why must I be in this situation…'_

"By the way, I saw what happened between you and Houki this afternoon in class. Looks like she hates your guts for sure."

I pouted and looked away,

"Tch, leave me alone. Besides, if you were there, you could've stopped either one of us."

Chifuyu sent him a playful grin,

"But it'd be more interesting that way, right?"

"Tch, and you call yourself a teacher? Thanks to you, she won't even talk or look me in the face."

Kazuki sighed lazily,

"Now, looking after her is going to be harder, now that she hates me. What a pain…"

Chifuyu chuckled in slightly apologetically,

"I see. Looks like you have it rough…"

She downed another can of beer, and her face seemed to have turned slightly red. On occasions, she would hiccup like an old man. The two people talked and the number of cans increased one by one until her 4th can.

Kazuki could clearly tell that she was drunk, and he was kind of scared what she would be like when she was drunk. At one point, she took her tracksuit jacket off to show a thin sleeveless black shirt that revealed a lot of her cleavage. But that didn't faze Kazuki, although he was a little taken aback, it took more than that to faze him.

"Satoshi…"

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you…"

"Huh?"

It most certainly wasn't the answer Kazuki had been expecting because his eyes had widened when he heard Chifuyu utter the words.

"Thank you for taking care of my little brother… As an older sister, there is a limit to what I can do for him, and you are doing just that, so you have my gratitude…"

He partially understood what she meant.

"Neh, Satoshi… Would you care to listen to a little story of mine?"

Kazuki noticed the flash of sadness in Chifuyu's eyes and slightly relaxed his expression.

"Go ahead. We've got plenty of time. I'll listen."

She smiled gratefully,

"You see, when me and Ichika were younger, we were abandoned by our parents… Ever since then, we went through a lot of struggle to get to where we are now. I wanted to become stronger, for Ichika… So I studied, and trained for hours everyday and entered the national IS tournament, and ended up winning, earning the title of the world's strongest woman. But a year after, Ichika was kidnapped by an unknown organization while I wasn't aware. I only found out when the police contacted me…"

She paused slightly.

"The world's strongest woman… But I couldn't even be there to protect my own little brother… World's strongest, yeah right!"

She held her beer can tightly, scrunching it up. Kazuki understood her anger. Though he has yet to come across that experience, the feeling of not being able to save the one you hold dear no matter how much strength you have was a frustrating thing.

Chifuyu then met Kazuki's blue eyes and grabbed his hand with both her hands.

"He's the only family I have, Satoshi…"

Kazuki knew where the conversation was going. He closed his eyes and continued to listen in silence,

"Please, take care of Ichika…"

Chifuyu fell forward, but Kazuki caught her by his arms as she collapsed weakly onto Kazuki's chest. He felt a soft sensation hitting his lower chest and he was well aware of what they were. With a light blush, Kazuki pulled her back and wrapped her arm around his neck for support.

 _'_ _In the end, I guess she's also a normal girl. Acting all tough and strong on the outside, but really frail and weak in the inside. Jeez…'_

He threw the sleeping Chifuyu on her bed and placed the blanket over her.

 _'_ _Family… I don't understand. They're something that can make the world's strongest into this… they must be quite the precious beings.'_

He would not find the answer to that question. Not yet. But he had a feeling that he would, in the near future.

He stepped outside the veranda to observe the night sky. It was quiet and soothing. Then a phone call.

He took out his black phone, and answered,

 **"** **Ya~ho~ Kazu-chan! It's been a while, hasn't it? I've missed you!"**

"It's only been a few days. Jeeez, don't call so often, what will you do if someone finds out that I know the great professor Shinonono Tabane?"

 **"** **Meh! I don't really care about that~"**

"I care!" He retorted loudly.

He re-adjusted his voice and sighed,

"Anyway, what do you want at this time of the night? It's past 1:00 am."

 **"** **Kazu-chan's a bad boy! Good boys go to sleep early!"**

"…I'm hanging up."

 **"** **Ah! Ah! Wait, Kazu-chan! You're such a meanie…"** Tabane pouted over the phone.

Kazuki already knew why Tabane called him,

"If you're worried about Houki and Ichika, they're doing fine. I'm watching over them after all. Plus Chifuyu is here as well, so you've got nothing to worry about."

 **"…** **That's true. Kazu-chan and Chi-chan's there…"**

The blonde boy then remembered something important,

"Hey, Tabaco…"

 **"** **Taba-chan!"**

"Shut up! I need to ask you an important question!"

 **"** **Well, Kazu-chan's not going to get anything out of me then!"**

Kazuki massaged his temples in mental stress, accompanied by a tick mark,

"-sigh- Taba-chan…"

All Kazuki could hear was Tabane squealing happily over the phone, but he ignored it.

"Today, when people mentioned Houki's connection to you, she strongly denied it and seemed pretty upset about it. Did something happen between you two?"

 **"** **Nyooh, that's a very personal question, Kazu-chan."**

"Sorry, then you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

There was a short pause, but Tabane continued,

 **"** **No, it's okay. Kazu-chan has the right to know. Houki-chan probably really hates Taba-chan. It all began since the day Taba-chan introduced the IS to the world. Houki-chan's world kendo tournament was canceled and she was forced to move away for protection, and ended up splitting I-kun and Houki-chan apart… I made Houki live by herself in the outside world and ruined her life…"**

Kazuki only listened to her in silence; he could sympathize with the way she was thinking.

"I see… I'm sorry for reminding you of such a thing."

But like always, Tabane's tone turned cheery and the conversation they had felt non-existent. **"But anyway, I made this new rabbit robot model yesterday with all these cool new features! You have to see them, Kazu-chan!"**

"Yeah, yeah that's great. Glad you're making great use of your time." Kazuki rolled his eyes and smiled sarcastically.

Kazuki then smiled amusedly,

"Oh and you were right, Houki and Ichika do go well together. They're together most of the time, and Houki seems to like him. You never told me they were childhood friends."

 **"** **That's good…"** This time, Kazuki caught onto Tabane's unusual style of tone like a hawk.

Kazuki cocked an eyebrow,

"You know, you've been acting weird lately over the phone. If you have something to say, say it clearly."

There was a momentary silence between the two, and it only confused Kazuki more, but Tabane spoke in the next moment,

 **"** **You see, Kazu-chan… I didn't call you to check up on Houki-chan…"**

"Huh? Then what for? Forget something to tell me?"

 **"** **I called you because-"**

Then Kazuki's screen blinked and a red message popped up saying "low energy."

"Ah, sorry, Tabaco, my battery is about to run out. I forgot to charge it today. Let's talk about that next time."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

 **Click**

The phone went dead in Tabane's hands, and her mouth was puffed out in a pout with a shade of pink on her cheeks,

"Stupid Kazu-chan…"

Then something popped up on her computer screen and saw that she received a mail. When she opened it, she smiled, sat up from her chair, and left the room.

 **From:** **Kazu-chan**

 ** _I bet you've been looking at the screen all day. Go to sleep, it's late._**

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

I turned the lights off and left Chifuyu's room.

 ** _"_** ** _Please, take care of Ichika…"_**

I clicked my tongue lazily,

 _'_ _You didn't need to ask.'_

The dorm hallway was lit up, but there were no one but me around and it was completely silent.

But the thought of going back to my room disturbed me slightly.

 _'_ _I bet Houki's still mad at me… She's probably asleep, but…'_

The thought of even seeing her was making me nervous,

 _'_ _Argh! It's going to be so awkward tomorrow if she finds me in the room.'_

Nonetheless, it was also my room, and there was no way out of that. I opened the door labeled 1025 as quietly as I could and closed it just the same. It was dark inside, as I had hoped. I saw Houki, lying in her bed without her blanket, asleep. I sighed in relief.

 _'_ _Thank goodness…'_

I quietly shuffled towards her bed and pulled the blanket over her delicately. I daren't wake up Houki now. If I woke her up in this situation, I would probably be sent flying through the veranda.

"You'll catch a cold, you klutz."

For a second, I sat there and looked at her with a wistful smile,

 _'_ _A little sister… I wonder if I had any…'_

Then, Tabaco's story flashed into my mind, and it made me frown slightly.

I placed a hand on the side of her arm covered in blanket,

"I'm sorry, Houki… I'm sure you've been through a lot… But without even trying to understand you, I said all those harsh things…"

He then chuckled lightly,

"I'm also not brave enough to tell you this while you're awake… I really am the worst aren't I…?"

I snapped myself out of melancholy and gently tapped her blanketed shoulder gently.

I went over to my own bed and stretched my legs out.

 _'_ _What another crazy day… If this is what everyday is going to be, I probably won't last long.'_ I thought to myself jokingly.

I closed my eyes and let the dream world take me.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was an ethereal experience. Everything was white; the ground, the wall, if there were any, and the space itself was just completely white. I was in the center of what seemed like a white empty universe.

Then an image popped in to my head and I saw two figures, a woman and a man, side-by-side. I couldn't quite make out their blurry faces, but they had an unsettling smile, almost as if it was fake.

The image was gone and was replaced by another,

This time, a small blonde boy was holding hands with the two figures I saw earlier. Like the earlier image, they had this smile that made me feel uncomfortable. The image once again disappeared.

That wasn't the end, a torrent of images flew across my mind, and in all of them, those figures were there. Who were they? Why couldn't I remember?

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Kazuki suddenly woke up with a jolt. He grabbed his head in pain for a long moment, before he stared into his own hand.

 _'_ _Just what was that… What were those images? They feel… familiar…'_

I felt cold sweat running down my face and a lot of questions raced in my head.

I violently shook my head,

 _'_ _Such a hassle… I'll think about it later…'_

I looked at the time; it was 5 O'clock in the morning. I looked over towards Houki's bed to see her sleeping like a log.

I sat up on the side of my bed and rubbed my face tiredly.

 _'_ _4 hours… No point in sleeping any longer I guess…'_

That's right. My cells were so over-doped; I was told that I only needed about 3 hours of sleep to fully recover my fatigue. For some reason, that didn't sit well with me. Maybe because I felt it was abnormal to sleep half the hours of other normal human beings.

 _'_ _I need some fresh air…'_

With that, I left the room quietly with my school uniform blazer over my shoulder.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The weekend was over and the day of the duel between Ichika, Cecilia, and Kazuki had come. Houki and Ichika were on standby in the barracks.

"Hey, Houki?" Ichika had a rather dissatisfied pout on his face.

"What?" and Houki seemed to pretend to not know anything about it.

"You were supposed to teach me about IS, right?"

Houki grunted and averted eye contact.

Ichika placed his hands on his hips like a mom and scolded,

"Don't look away! We did nothing but practice kendo this week."

"W-What could we have done? Your IS isn't here yet…"

"Even without the unit, isn't there theory or other basics we could have covered?" At this point Ichika was teasing, trying to corner her.

"Hmph!" she averted her gaze even further.

"I said don't look away!"

 _'_ _Well, Kazuki did teach me a lot about how to maneuver an IS, so I guess I'll let her go.'_

Then a warm laughter came from behind the two and Kazuki appeared from the shadows with his friendly smile.

"Yah~ You guys get along nicely as always."

"Oh, Kazuki!" Ichika was glad he came. After all, if he didn't come, all the training would have been for naught

"Yo." Kazuki greeted.

Ichika then turned to Houki and lightly tapped her with his elbow.

"Hora, Houki! At least say hi to him!" he whispered just so she can hear.

"Hmph." Houki turned her face away from Kazuki so that only the back of her head was visible.

"Houki!" he whispered louder, but she didn't listen.

Kazuki laughed awkwardly,

"It's alright, Ichika, we saw each other earlier, so."

"A-Alright, if you say so…"

Ichika looked at Kazuki with a stern expression and thought back to his words during the IS training.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"_ _Oh, and Ichika. Don't tell Houki that I've been training you."_

 _Ichika gave him a perplexed look,_

 _"_ _Eh? Why?"_

 _"_ _Because Houki was supposed to be the one to train you. You don't know how exciting it must have been for her. If she found out that I secretly helped you train, she'd kill me."_

 _Ichika tilted his head,_

 _"_ _But why would she be excited?"_

 _Kazuki let out a sigh of exasperation,_

 _"_ _-sigh- and that's why you're denser than a black hole, Ichika."_

 _"_ _Hey, what is that supposed to mean!? I don't get it?! Oi!"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Kazuki turned to the screen that was being projected on the wall nearby.

"So that's Alcott's personal unit…"

It was the same blonde girl wearing standard tight combat uniform, but half of her body was covered with blue armor.

In the meanwhile, Chifuyu and Yamada watched the three in the command center just from above.

Chifuyu grabbed her head in pain,

 _'_ _Maybe I drank too much that day...'_

For a few seconds, she stared at Kazuki from behind the orange, bullet-proof glass with an unreadable expression.

 _'_ _Besides, I got too drunk and went ahead and said something like that…'_

 ** _"_** ** _Please, take care of Ichika."_**

She face-palmed at her mistake,

 _'_ _How pathetic…'_

She then rolled up her sleeves and grabbed her arm powerfully. Her eyes also glinted red,

 _'_ _Maybe I should make him forget everything…'_

The green haired teacher only looked at her with a sweat-drop,

 _'_ _Scary…'_

Kazuki felt the hair at the back of his neck stand up, and he felt the piercing stare from a certain somewhere. He slowly turned to the glass window of the command center behind him and saw Chifuyu glaring down at him with a red glint, and with an intimidating pose.

 _'_ _Geh! Chifuyu! I forgot about her!'_

Without thinking, I gave her the thumbs up and a toothy smile. That seemed to have worked because her deadly aura had dissipated and she looked away. But then his eyes widened when he realized something,

 _'_ _W-Wait a second. D-Did she just… b-blush?'_

Kazuki stared at her face for a long second, before turning away with a lazy expression,

 _'_ _Pfft, yeah right. Chifuyu? Blush? When hell freezes over. Sure.'_

Then, the intercom in the barrack resounded with Yamada's voice,

"Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun! You're IS has arrived!"

A wall just next to Houki and Ichika slid open to reveal a silver IS unit with a large pair of metal wings, held to the armor by a blue metal holder. The structure was similar to Cecilia's unit, but with slight difference in wing shapes and color.

"This is your personal IS, Byakushiki!" Yamada concluded.

"Suit up now. We don't have too much time in the arena, so format and fit it during the fight." Chifuyu ordered.

Ichika, without a moment of hesitation, got on to the seat of the unit with a small boost from Kazuki.

"Lean back into it. That's right. As if you're sitting. The system will optimize the rest for you."

 **Access… System Start…**

The robotic voice snapped Ichika out of his awe.

"So this is Byakushiki…"

"IS come with a function called absolute defense. It's designed to at the very least save the pilot's life no matter what attack lands. However, when it activates, shield energy will be drained." Yamada added.

Ichika gaped in amazement,

 _'_ _Woah, they're saying the same thing Kazuki said to me when he first taught me.'_

Ichika smiled at Kazuki in gratitude, and Kazuki gave him the friendly thumbs up.

"Orimura, you feeling alright?" Chifuyu asked.

Ichika responded confidently,

"Yeah, I can do this!"

Chifuyu smiled behind the large holographic screen,

"I see."

Ichika then stepped onto the launch pad and locked the IS into it.

"Houki."

Houki, a little surprised by him calling her, stuttered,

"W-What?"

"I'm off. Wish me luck!" he smiled.

"Y-Yeah. Go win this!" She gave him a firm look of determination.

Ichika nodded.

"Kazuki too, I'll see you out there. Wish me luck."

He was off. The launch pad sent him across the inner barracks and out towards the arena.

Kazuki clicked his tongue, dumbfounded,

"Tch. Who asks an opponent to wish them luck?"

Then the intercom resounded with Chifuyu's scolding voice,

"You too, Satoshi, get going before I come down and kick you out!"

Kazuki sweat-dropped and did as he was told.

But before he did, he turned to Houki with a teasing smile,

"Are you going to wish me luck?"

Houki then averted her eyes from him with a light awkward blush and remained wordless.

Kazuki sighed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly,

"I'm just kidding. You're no fun, Houki." He smiled.

But she didn't move her head even a little from its spot.

"Then, I'll see you later, Houki."

Houki couldn't get the blush off her face because of the thoughts about what happened a few days ago.

 **-Flashback-**

 _The room was dark, it was 1:00 in the morning and Kazuki had yet to return to his room. Houki was starting to get worried._

 _'_ _Where is that idiot!? It's this late and he still hasn't come back to his room…'_

 _Was he avoiding her? Was he sleeping outside or in someone else's room because she was here?_

 _Houki shook her head violently and expelled the thoughts._

 _'_ _Calm yourself Houki. Your bad habits are coming back again.'_

 _Unable to wait, she stood up from her bed, but she dived straight back onto it when she heard a click sound from the door._

 _Her eyes wide, and face red from surprise, she saw the light from the hallway intrude the dark room and saw the shadow of a tall spikey haired boy._

 _She didn't dare move. She didn't move a muscle, and she pretended to sleep. But her heart was beating crazily._

 _The door closed silently and Houki could tell Kazuki was trying to move silently to not wake her up._

 _'_ _Good… He thinks I'm asleep.'_

 _She felt cold across her body and noticed that she had forgotten to wrap the blanket over her before pretending to sleep._

 _'_ _Burhh… It's cold. When he falls asleep, I shou-'_

 _Then, suddenly, she felt the blanket magically cover her body._

 _'_ _Huh? What's going on?'_

 _She didn't realize what was happening until a hand fell on her blanketed arm._

 _Houki inwardly yelped at the unexpected contact and blushed intensely._

 _"_ _-sigh- You'll catch a cold, you klutz." His voice was kind, but at the same time mocking._

 _A tick appeared on her forehead._

 _'_ _Klutz? This guy…' Houki held it in. She must hold it in._

 _She opened her eyes a millimeter and from the corner of her eyes, she saw the sad smile adorning his face,_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Houki… I'm sure you've been through a lot… But without even trying to understand you, I said all those things…"_

 _Houki's eyes would have widened if she could open her eyes._

 _"_ _I'm also not brave enough to tell you this while your awake… I really am the worst aren't I…?"_

 _She stole peeks through her half-open eyes and saw the wistful expression etched on to his face._

 _'_ _Kazuki…'_

 _She then felt a gentle tap on the side of her arm and heard him shuffle back to his own bed._

 _Houki was left there, eyes wide, and a blush on her face._

 **-End of Flashback-**

But Yamada, Chifuyu and Houki gaped at what the blonde was doing.

Kazuki was walking on the launch track, towards the edge of the barrack as if he was going to jump down onto the arena.

"Satoshi-kun?" Yamada wondered what Kazuki was doing, but Chifuyu seem to have already figured out what was going on in his head and spoke into the intercom,

"Don't even try it, Satoshi. You'll break your legs before the match even starts. Just take out your IS."

Kazuki didn't listen,

"Ehhh… It wouldn't look as cool though… So, you know… no thanks sensei."

Kazuki smiled and stuck his tongue out cheekily.

A temple bulged on her forehead but she decided to hold it in,

 _'_ _Just for today… I'll let you go…'_

"Get going already!" she commanded.

Houki watched Kazuki walk closer towards the edge of the launch track and cocked an eyebrow in doubt,

 _'_ _The barracks is at least 20 meters off the ground, there's no way…'_

Then, after taking his blazer off, Kazuki jumped, and his figure completely disappeared from view. Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly directed her attention to the holographic screen on the wall of the barracks.

Houki thought Kazuki was just being stupid as usual and believed it was just a farce, but it seemed like he was serious about jumping off the launch barracks.

In the meanwhile, a fair number of audiences had gathered up in the seat outside the safety barrier of the arena.

There was a scream of terror as they saw a blonde figure jump off from one of the launch barracks.

"Look! Someone jumped off the barracks without any equipment!"

"It's Satoshi-kun! He's falling!"

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I felt the rush of air as gravity pulled me down to the ground. If I had to guess, the fall was going to be about 23 meters.

No problem.

I landed with a lot of force; my back bent forward to prevent the stress, and I let my metal arm and leg take most of the force of the fall. I landed on both my legs and also on my metal hand. The dust around me blew out like a shockwave. I stood up and brushed the dust off myself and saw that the black compression long sleeve was clean. Although I couldn't say the same for my white uniform pants.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Houki gaped in sheer amazement at Kazuki's grand entrance,

 _'_ _He's reckless and stupid, but to think he actually pulled it off…'_

Watching this feat from the command center, Yamada also had a similar expression,

"Woah… No injury of any sort has been detected in Kazuki's body. Heart rate and stress level seems to be stable. Amazing…"

Chifuyu smirked amusedly,

 _'_ _Not bad…'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I blushed at myself stupidly as I thought,

 _'_ _Kahh, I bet I looked really cool just now…'_

I pushed the irrelevant thoughts out of my mind and observed the two IS units in the air carefully.

 _'_ _Blue tears and Byakushiki, huh?'_

I let a smirk form on my face with a bit of excitement.

"Yo! Kazuki! That was really cool back there! Didn't it hurt?" A screen appeared in front of my face and saw Ichika's face on it.

"No problem, no problem. Didn't hurt even a little bit." I replied with a nonchalant grin.

This time, another screen with Alcott's face appeared next to Ichika's. She seemed a little nervous.

"I-I admit that was quite the entrance, but please don't get carried away! The obvious winner will be me, Cecilia Alcott!"

I had to admit, even I couldn't keep up with this girl's skit. I just smiled lazily,

"Yeah, yeah. Good luck to you too, Alcott."

The girl seemed very flustered when I simply wished her luck, and to be honest, I said it quite sarcastically, but she seemed taken aback by it.

"H-Hmph! Acting all nice now won't do you any good! But if you apologize now, I may just forgive you…"

I laughed,

"Hah. In your dreams, little girl."

To my satisfaction, I saw a small tick mark form on her forehead, then a menacing smile,

"That's a shame… Then expect no mercy!"

I smirked too in excitement,

"Heh! Now that's more like it."

I swung my left arm to the sides,

 _'_ _Let's go, Lyka!'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

The audience watched in awe as Kazuki's body glowed brightly.

"Kazuki's finally activating his IS!"

"I wonder what it's going to look like!"

"I can't wait, Hurry!"

The crowd was shaking in anticipation to see what Kazuki's personal IS looked like.

When the girls saw that Kazuki's body stopped glowing, their eyes widened incredulously at the blonde boy's new appearance.

"W-What is that?"

"I-Is Satoshi-kun really in there?"

"He has so much weapons!"

Houki couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

 _'_ _I-Is that… Kazuki?'_

What she was looking at was a full-body IS unit. In fact, Kazuki's IS took the shape of some form of a mechanical werewolf. It's metallic snout was equipped with sharp metallic teeth and contributed to the wolf-like appearance. The metal armor were mostly blue; the gray stomach chest area were lightly armored with a simple layer of steel compared to the other parts like the legs and the shoulders. **(A/N: Metal Garurumon X)**

It had the hunched up hind legs like that of a wolf, and had red metallic claws on the feet and hand. Its left arm was, in fact, not an arm but a large tri-barrel minigun. Not only that, there were a lot of mid to long-range weapons attached all around its metallic body.

Houki gaped at Kazuki's new form and gulped.

Chifuyu stood up from her chair suddenly and stared at the screen in surprise,

 _'_ _A full-body unit?!'_

Yamada also followed, letting out a squeal of amazement,

"Look at this Orimura-sensei! This is Lyka, Satoshi-kun's personal IS unit!"

Her hands moved left and right, dragging around screens here and there. She began reading some of the specs of the IS unit.

"Tri-barrel GAU-19 minigun, laser tracking AGM-114 hellfire missile pods hidden all around his body, and an HMF-4 rail gun at his back…"

While Yamada was busy with her hands, Chifuyu had already skimmed through most of Kazuki's weapons, but she knew something was missing.

Yamada corrected herself, noticing the missing information,

"Wait! There's one more! In his hands. A pair of retractable claws, made of three 1.5 meter tungsten carbide blades **(A/N: Kind of like XMen claws but longer)…** What a fearsome set of weapons…"

Kazuki stretched his neck a little and tested his claws. He extended three fairly long black blades out from the metallic knuckles, and then, once he saw that they were nice, shiny and sharp, he retracted them.

Then he remembered something,

 _'_ _Ah, I said I was going to give these guys a handicap. Forgot about that…'_

Ichika gawked at Kazuki's weaponry in admiration,

 _'_ _Woah… He has all those cool weapons… All I have is this strange looking sword...'_

Kazuki was fitted for melee as well as long-range combat, and they were very powerful weapons, much to Cecilia's consternation.

"L-Looks like you weren't all just talk…"

"Don't worry, I won't be using any of these today…" Kazuki assured much to Cecilia and Ichika's confusion.

"Hah? What are you saying? Then what will you use?" the blonde girl demanded impatiently.

Cecilia understood exactly what he meant when she saw Kazuki mumble through his snout,

 **"** **IS Performance Output Configuration : Default"**

All the weapons visible on Kazuki's IS dematerialized in front of everyone's eyes. A normal arm, similar to his right arm, replaced even his mini-gun left arm.

This time, Yamada stood up from her seat in shock,

"He put his IS into Default?!"

But she turned to Chifuyu when she nodded in understanding,

"I see… So that's what he meant by a handicap…"

"A handicap… That's like fighting them barehanded! He can't win this! Not against a representative candidate."

Chifuyu placed her hand on her chin ponderously,

"I wonder…"

Cecilia was fuming when she saw all the weapons disappear from Kazuki's IS,

"D-Default?! Y-You really think you'll stand a chance in that setting?"

 _'_ _Default? What does that even mean?'_ Ichika gave him a strange look.

Kazuki's grin only widened in anticipation,

"Just come at me, you'll never know until you try."

Cecilia's expression darkened slightly,

"In that case… I bid you farewell!"

She materialized a long-range laser rifle and then shot directly at Kazuki on the ground.

Kazuki quickly took off for the air and dodged, letting the sets of jet engines at his back do the work. The laser rushed right past his snout.

Cecilia kept her sights locked onto the wolf-like IS and shot multiple times, but Kazuki seemed to dodge them with ease,

 _'_ _He's too fast! My aim won't keep up!'_

"You are good at dodging, that I will admit! However…"

4 small drones detached themselves off of her IS and started shooting out a number of lasers.

"… will you be able dodge all of these along with my shots from my rifle?"

Kazuki cocked an eyebrow slightly in surprise,

 _'_ _Hoh? She can control all of them at once like that? That's impressive.'_

Kazuki immediately nose-dived for the ground and accelerated to dodge the torrent of lasers. But Cecilia nor her drones stopped. They shot a hail of laser during Kazuki's dive, but he simply dodged all of them with a twirl motion mid-dive.

Just when he was about to touch the ground, he pulled his upper body back and let out a strong burst of force from his jet engines on his feet to stop just above the ground.

Houki recognized the air maneuver and watched in amazement,

 _'_ _That move…'_

 _'_ _He can even do something like that under all that pressure?'_

Chifuyu had to admit, she hadn't seen a battle this good in a while, and she failed to notice the smile on her face while gluing her eyes to the screen.

Cecilia grunted in frustration and continued to rain down lasers on Kazuki, but he simply zigzagged across the sand field with incredible speed, easily avoiding all the shots.

"H-He's so fast… I can barely see him move… Wasn't he supposed to have terrible control over his IS?" Confused, Yamada turned to Chifuyu for answers. She stared sternly at the screen in contemplation.

"That was just make-belief. He probably wanted to hide the fact that he was a very capable pilot."

"But for what reason?" Yamada didn't seem to understand why someone would purposefully hide their talents just to join the academy.

The raven-haired teacher remembered what Kazuki had said to her,

 ** _"_** ** _I'm simply here to grant the wish of an older sister."_**

She chuckled to herself much to Yamada's greater perplexity.

"Probably a stupid reason… Suits well for an idiot like him." She said to herself with a resigned smile.

Cecilia almost made the mistake of pursuing the wolf IS further because she wouldn't have noticed the gray IS rushing towards her with a sword.

"Better not forget I'm here too!" Ichika shouted and swung his sword across, but missed as the blonde flew back.

Cecilia frowned,

"Challenging a long-range gunner with close-range equipment, how foolish!"

She took aim and shot Ichika with her sniper. The effect was rather impressive.

"Gahh!" the laser should have hit his armor on the shoulder, but fortunately, the invisible shield absorbed the damage, though, the impact was definitely there, sending him back slightly.

Yamada and Houki slightly gasped when the laser made impact, but settled down when he landed and hovered, albeit clumsily, on the sand ground.

Cecilia smiled in satisfaction and kept firing,

Ichika managed to barely dodge most of the projectiles by maneuvering himself in the air. He flew back up high, close to Cecilia's altitude, while constantly avoiding her shots with a bit of a struggle.

 _'_ _Damn it. I can't keep up with Byakushiki's speed. It's completely different from the training units.'_

Houki watched this with great confusion,

 _'_ _Ichika's actually dodging most of those shots even though he didn't get the chance to train with a real IS…? Just how?'_

Cecilia only hummed in excitement as she incessantly sent laser towards Ichika,

"Yes! Dance to the waltz played by Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears!"

During her fun little trigger-happy frenzy, she failed to notice the blue blur appear behind her. When she realized her mistake and turned around, it was too late. Lyka's knee drove itself straight into her stomach, and she was sent flying across the field like a bullet and crashed into the invisible barrier of the field.

"Ahhh!" Kazuki turned around and saw Ichika flying straight towards him with his sword out in front of him.

He side-stepped and dodged the stab.

Ichika then swung across horizontally, but Kazuki swiftly dodged it with an aerial cartwheel.

 _'_ _Can't… hit… him!'_

Ichika swung in many different direction, maintaining his kendo stance, but Kazuki was simply too agile and none of his strikes landed.

With last-ditch effort, Ichika lunged forward with a burst from his wings.

 _'_ _Then how about this?!'_

He aimed his stab towards Kazuki's lightly armored chest.

Everything happened in a split second. Kazuki parried the thrust to the side with his forearm. Ichika saw that the path of the thrust was going to miss and his eyes widened when he saw a fist coming up on his face.

 _'_ _Crap!'_

The punch sent him flying in high speed into the ground, creating a massive eruption of dust.

"Ichika!" Houki couldn't help but scream out in concern when she saw her childhood friend take an attack like that.

Yamada also slightly gasped at the impact, but Chifuyu only chuckled,

"The unit saved your life, you fool."

Yamada gave her a perplexed look, but soon figured out what she meant when Ichika emerged from the dust cloud unscathed.

The spectating girls also gasped in surprise,

"What? What's going on?"

"Look! Orimura-kun's unit changed!"

Ichika also stared at himself incredulously. His unit was now white, with some parts still blue. His wing had opened up and was slightly larger, with blue eyes in each wing near the center and golden spikes sticking out of the wing.

His blunt sword then suddenly opened up and a light beam came out from the hilt.

"Yukihira V.2? This is the weapon that Chifuyu-nee used…"

Cecilia snapped out of her daze and flew up to get into a suitable position, but was taken by complete surprise when she saw Ichika's IS changed form,

"That was… First shift? D-Don't tell you were fighting with the default settings too!"

Kazuki smiled intriguingly,

"Heh~ So that's his first shift…"

Ichika smiled eagerly,

"I don't get it exactly, but looks like this unit's truly mine now!"

Ichika didn't have time to recover much because he was forced to dodge a laser that came down from the far corner of the arena.

"It doesn't matter if you've entered first shift! It means nothing if you have low energy!"

Cecilia released her 4 drones and started firing at Ichika.

With a burst of energy from his wings, he launched into the air and rushed towards the drones scattered around in the air.

Ichika clenched and unclenched his hands in excitement,

"I get it now! You're accuracy decreases with your rifle when you send out your drones because they only move with your commands each time!"

Cecilia flinched; it seemed like Ichika had found out her weak point.

Yamada was surprised,

"Orimura-kun's amazing. I can't believe this is his second time activating an IS…"

Chifuyu closed her eyes and added,

"That's because it isn't."

"Eh? What do you mean, sensei?"

"Satoshi actually went out of his way to train him for the past few days with the training units."

"Ehhh?! Even though they're opponents?"

Chifuyu nodded.

Yamada's expression warmed as she stared at the screen,

"Heh… Satoshi-kun is a lot more… caring and reliable than I thought…"

Chifuyu then frowned,

"Don't overestimate his character too much, Yamada-kun. He's still a lazy, shameless idiot."

Then, the green-haired woman giggled to herself for a few seconds.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, well, it's just that… It's rare to see Chifuyu-sensei talk about anyone like that. Sensei usually shows disinterest in talking about anyone besides your little brother."

Chifuyu flinched slightly with a light hue of pink on her face in embarrassment,

"H-Hmmm… Is that so…"

In the meanwhile, Ichika flew towards each individual drones, managing to dodge the shots coming from different directions. He proceeded to destroy the drones with his laser-powered sword, and they cut the drones cleanly in half.

To prevent further damage to her IS, Cecilia quickly ordered her drones to return. But Ichika was closing in quickly and she didn't have enough time and the speed to move away in time.

"This is the end!" Ichika exclaimed and slashed.

Cecilia shut her eyes and awaited her impending defeat, but she didn't feel anything.

She opened her eyes to see Kazuki's IS in front of her with his retractable claw drawn, stopping the blade an inch above her face.

"Looks like Satoshi-kun ended up taking out his tungsten claws." Yamada pondered curiously.

"Of course he did. He's not arrogant enough to think that he could catch that with his bare hands." Chifuyu explained.

"Wouldn't Satoshi-kun be strong enough to catch that though, sensei?"

"No. When Reiraku Byakuya is active, Yukihira is a weapon that penetrates through the IS shield. Even for a strong pilot like him, a lightly armored IS like Lyka probably won't stand a chance against a direct hit."

"That's quite the dangerous weapon you got there, Ichika." Kazuki smirked under the wolf snout in thrill.

 _'_ _Crap, I can't react in time!'_

Ichika cursed his reflexes as the sword in his hand flew out of his grip when Kazuki landed a kick to his hands. Kazuki then followed up with a punch with his other hand and it connected into Ichika's stomach.

The impact was enough to send him back a fair distance.

But Ichika shook it off,

"Heh, that didn't hurt me one bit!"

He rematerialized his Yukihira,

"Now it's my turn."

However, Kazuki grinned victoriously under his IS,

"Nope. You're done."

The instant Ichika rematerialized his weapon, there was a short burst of an air horn.

 **"** **Orimura Ichika has been automatically defeated due to shield energy depletion."**

Houki slammed her foot on the ground heatedly,

"There's no way! It must be a mistake! Orimura-sensei!"

She turned to the command center room just above her and demanded an answer, but Chifuyu shot her down instantly,

"Settle down, Shinonono. There's no mistake. Ichika lost."

Ichika didn't understand what was happening.

"Eh?! But my energy level is…"

Ichika's eyes widened when he re-checked his energy level. It was 0.

 _'_ _B-But how?'_ Ichika's mind was bubbling in confusion, but the voice of his older sister snapped him out of it,

"The fight between those 2 is still continuing. Return to the barracks at once." she ordered calmly and Ichika obeyed.

Cecilia seemed also confused as to what happened as well. What brought his defeat?

"His weapon, Yukihira V.2, eats up his energy whenever he has it activated. All the hits you and I gave him were enough for him to deplete the shield energy by himself." Kazuki explained, almost as if reading her mind.

Cecilia nodded in understanding.

"I see… It seems like you are not as incompetent as all the other males I've seen. However…"

But she readied her rifle and aimed it towards me,

"You will regret stopping that strike earlier!"

 _'_ _Now that one pilot is out, I will be able to concentrate 100% on Lyka!'_

Now that her drones have repaired, all 4 were released from her wings, and began shooting at Kazuki. Not only that, Cecilia revealed two large barrels from her hips and fired a pair of heat seeking rockets.

Kazuki smiled with a little sweat drop,

 _'_ _Oi, oi. Going all out now that Ichika's gone?'_

He quickly flew down onto the hard surface and watched the storm of projectiles approach him calmly. He closed his eyes and let out a long relaxed breath. When he opened his eyes again, everything around him seemed to have turned into slow motion.

 _'_ _I can see the individual shots! I can dodge them!'_

This greatly enhanced visual and cognitive response system, however, was the result of the horrible experiment he was subjected to before he met Tabane. Although he felt absolutely no gratitude towards the people who gave him this ability, he thought it was still very useful.

He saw the laser shots approach first. The first set of lasers, he sidestepped and they missed. The next set, he did a summersault, and the lasers went through the spaces between his body, all failing to land a hit. Then, with his powerful hind legs, he burst forward, dodging the third set of laser shots. He tilted his head slightly and a single shot of laser ran straight past his face. Another shot rushed towards his chest, but Kazuki swiped it away with his tungsten claw, dissipating it completely.

Ichika and Houki, watching the extreme speed and fluidity of Kazuki's maneuvers, were completely bewildered. They were beyond shocked at his display of strength.

"I-I can't believe I went against someone like that… That's just… impossible…" Ichika said slightly in hopelessness.

Houki looked at him with a pained expression. She then felt a bit of anger rile up,

"No. It's not your fault Ichika. What Kazuki did wasn't fair. He attacked you when you were fighting Alcott."

Ichika quickly corrected with the intention of neutralizing any misunderstanding,

"No, no, no! That was totally fair! It only makes sense to go for the one with the lowest shield energy."

Houki looked at him with an unsatisfied frown,

"Ichika…"

He smiled,

"It's okay! Although it's a little disappointing, it was still a great match. I got to see how strong they both were. Come on, let's watch the rest."

Unknown to Ichika, Houki still had the bitter frown etched on her face, but with Ichika, she drew her attention back to the screen.

Unbelievable. That was the one word that described what Cecilia was feeling in that moment.

 _'_ _What unbelievable reflexes… H-He dodged all of my shots so easily.'_

Finally, Kazuki watched as the pair of rockets approached him slowly. An idea popped into his head, letting a devious smile form on his face.

He gathered all his strength into the hind legs and exploded straight towards Cecilia with an extra boost from his jet. He flew straight past the pair of rockets before they even arrived half way. When he did fly past them, the rockets did a quick 180 degrees turn and continued after him.

However, a loud boom erupted in the arena, and everybody cringed at the loud sound. Even the glasses on some of the lights shattered at the sheer force of the shockwave. Chifuyu and Yamada also recovered from the loud explosion,

"C-C-Chifuyu sensei… was that…?"

Chifuyu nodded with also a shocked expression of her own,

"He just broke the sound barrier…"

Cecilia's senses weren't catching up. She was looking at the ground where Kazuki should have been, but he was no longer there when she came to. It was as if he suddenly disappeared. But the loud sonic boom snapped her out completely, and she quickly cringed and covered her ears in pain.

Kazuki then kicked Cecilia's back, and into the heat seeker rockets that she launched herself. An explosion, and a fair amount of black smoke oozed out of the area of explosion.

 **"** **Cecilia Alcott, has been automatically defeated due to shield energy depletion. Winner, Satoshi Kazuki."**

There was silence for a second all around the arena, but then, suddenly, there was a scream from the spectators,

"Kyah! She's falling!"

Kazuki picked up the scream word for word and turned to where Cecilia was supposed to be. And he saw it in the corner of his eyes.

Cecilia was indeed falling, her Blue Tears was gone and so was her consciousness.

It was more than a 20-meter fall and she had absolutely no protection on. She would definitely not survive the fall.

Chifuyu saw this and quickly shouted and radioed him almost instinctively,

"Satoshi!"

That was enough to get Kazuki moving. He cut through the air under extreme speed, creating another, but, smaller sonic boom, and landed on the ground near where Cecilia was going to fall. He deactivated Lyka, and returned to his normal human form. Kazuki ran with all his might and dived for the girl.

 **Crash**

The small cloud of sand blocked the view of the two in the middle of the arena

All the spectators stood up in fear and all shoved to see what happened to the two.

When the dust settled, Cecilia had landed safely on top of Kazuki with her face down on to his chest unharmed.

Yamada's face brightened in great relief when she saw Kazuki stood up smiling with an unharmed Cecilia.

"Thank goodness…" she trailed off with a little bit of tears seeping out.

Ichika and Houki also sighed in relief for Cecilia's safety.

Ichika smiled happily,

"Thank goodness she's alright… Kazuki's really amazing."

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The match was over and the spectators returned to what they were doing prior to the match.

Everyone else was gathered around the barracks except a certain someone.

"Sensei, will Cecilia be okay?" Ichika asked in concern.

"She should be fine after a bit of rest at the infirmary. She's just under a little shock." Chifuyu assured with a nod.

She looked at both Ichika and Kazuki with a rather satisfied smirk,

"I commend you all for your hard work. You deserve a good rest. And that goes for Alcott as well." She stated proudly.

"H-Hai!" Ichika blushed happily at his older sister's acknowledgement.

"Yamada-kun, take them back to their rooms, I need to talk to Satoshi."

Kazuki turned to the teacher with a confused look, but did as she was told,

"Hai, will do, sensei."

Yamada gestured both of them out of the barracks, but Houki stopped mid-way,

"I had something to ask of Orimura-sensei as well, actually. So could you go on ahead?"

Yamada gave her a curious look, but let Houki stay,

"I understand. But please don't be too late, Shinonono-san."

Ichika looked at Houki strangely, but left the barracks with the green-haired teacher.

When they were no longer in sight, Chifuyu cocked an eyebrow curiously,

"You have something to ask me, Shinonono?"

Houki looked at her seriously,

"Yes, Orimura-sensei. I would like to point out the foul play involved in the match earlier."

"Hoh?"

Kazuki didn't like where this conversation was headed. It wasn't heading anywhere pretty, that was for sure.

Houki pointed her finger at Kazuki and accused,  
"What Kazuki did was unfair. Attacking Ichika while he was busy fighting another opponent. I've never seen such dishonorable and cowardly way of fighting! As a samurai under Bushido, I cannot accept Ichika's defeat!"

 **Unfair**

 **Dishonorable**

 **Cowardly**

The words viciously pierced through Kazuki's self-esteem and pride. He sweated bullets and slightly shook comically in mock hurt.

Chifuyu seemed rather neutral about this,

"It's only natural for IS pilots to attack the one with the lowest shield energy. Also, experienced IS pilots aim to eliminate the weakest first, and it was clear to us all. Ichika was the weakest pilot in that duel."

Kazuki beamed with tears of joy seeping out of his eyes,

 _'_ _Chifuyu-sama~'_

"Even though it may seem like a scum thing to do, it's completely natural and it is one of the things that makes a pilot strong."

 **Scum**

"Umm… You know… I'm here listening…"

But they didn't seem to really mind his existence much and didn't really have trouble badmouthing him in front of his face.

"Anyway, there was no foul play during that match. If you've got nothing else to say, go back to your room." Chifuyu ordered.

Houki tried to argue,

"But-"

Chifuyu sent her a death glare, threatening her out of the room. She was starting to become impatient.

Houki slightly flinched when she noticed the killing intent coming from her teacher. She sweat-dropped and bowed.

"H-Hai, good day, Orimura-sensei…" She quickly left the barracks after giving Kazuki a quick angry glare.

Kazuki sighed tiringly,

"-sigh- So, what was it that you wanted to ask, Orimura-sen-"

Chifuyu's death glare was on him this time. He had momentarily forgotten.

"C-Chifuyu-san."

Chifuyu also let out an exasperated sigh,

"-sigh- just how did you get her to hate you so much? You're doing it on purpose aren't you?"

Kazuki sweat dropped and drawled,

"Why would I want to make things harder on myself…?" he trailed off as if it was an obvious thing.

Chifuyu looked away slightly in sympathy. She understood the weight behind Kazuki's words.

 _'_ _Protecting someone who hates you, huh…'_

She pondered with a wistful smile.

Chifuyu suddenly frowned and narrowed her eyes,

"You insulted me just now, thinking that was an obvious thing, didn't you?"

Kazuki looked at her with a shocked face,

"Sensei…"

Chifuyu cocked her eyebrows questioningly, wondering what he was going to say.

Kazuki face shifted into a blissful smile and he scratched the back of his head shyly,

"Can you read people's mind by any chance?"

Chifuyu lightly punched him in the cheeks, but her eyes widened when she saw Kazuki fall back and collapse.

"Oi! What's wrong, Satoshi?" Chifuyu kneeled next to him and helped him sit up.

Kazuki grunted, but quickly brightened up with a smile,

"Eyaah~ Pulling off a stunt like that seems even too much for me…"

He got up on his feet with Chifuyu's shoulder for support.

"Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

Her voice was stern and that of a commander, but there was a small hint of concern in it.

"No, it's nothing I can't handle. But I really fancy a good long sleep." Kazuki prompted her to let go.

"It's because you're reckless, you fool. Moving at such a speed and stopping with all that momentum… Twice." Chifuyu let the blonde stand on his own, albeit with a little worry.

"Well, that's what Lyka's programmed to do…" he admitted.

Chifuyu watched him in contemplation,

"Actually, Satoshi, I wanted to ask you a question relating to that. Although I feel bad for not letting you rest, I'll have you stick around longer."

Kazuki whined jokingly,

"Ehhhhhh? But it's such a pain…"

"Just shut up and listen."

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

A certain blonde woke up, her sapphire eyes slowly opening as her consciousness returned.

"…where am I…?" she looked around the room and saw a familiar green haired women.

"You're in the nurse's office, Alcott-san." Yamada greeted her with a bright smile of relief.

Cecilia glanced out the window and saw that the sun was already setting.

"How long was I unconscious for?"

"Just a few hours. Other than small scratches, you're perfectly fine!"

Cecilia smiled slightly, thinking it was her teacher who brought her to the nurse's office after the match.

"I see… Thank you, Yamada-sensei."

The green haired teacher shook her head and hands,

"No, no, no! You shouldn't be thanking me. I'm not the one who brought you here."

Cecilia tilted her head in confusion,

"Eh? Then who…?"

Yamada watched as Cecilia contemplated, then sighed,

"Looks like it will be better to show you what happened."

She then flicked a switch on a button in her hand, and a screen appeared on a plain wall across from the blonde.

Cecilia brought her attention to the screen. It was a video clip of the battle earlier, and was near the end where Cecilia was pouring down shots at Kazuki as a last ditch effort.

The blonde girl gawked at the maneuvers and the speed at which Kazuki dodged her shots. It was as if he could predict the trajectory of her shots before they were even fired.

"A-Amazing…"

"That's not the only amazing bit. Here it comes."

Cecilia leaned in closer to the screen at Yamada's words, paying closer attention to what was going on.

Kazuki had just slapped away the last laser shot with his claw. He then bent his hind legs downward, and like a spring, exploded straight towards his enemy. His movement was so quick, when Cecilia accidently blinked; Kazuki was already behind his enemy, ready to kick.

The blonde girl slightly flinched at the loud "boom" sound, but pointed her hand shakily at the screen and turned to her teacher,

"D-D-Did he just create a s-sonic boom?!"

Yamada giggled,

"Our reaction was exactly the same. Even Orimura-sensei was shocked."

"B-B-But that is scientifically impossible! How can anyone stop with all that momentum? Or even have that kind of acceleration?!"

But before she could continue her incredulous rant, she realized she was supposed to be finding out what happened to her during the battle.

She watched the scene where she was kicked into her own rockets and slightly flinched shamefully. From the smoke, she emerged and was falling from at least 20 meters above the sandy ground. There were screams from the spectators. She was going to fall to her death. But Cecilia watched intently, determined to figure out whom she should be thanking, according to her teacher.

Cecilia flinched again when she heard another sonic boom,

 _'_ _Eh? Why is he using that maneuver again?'_

Suddenly, the wolf IS appeared on the sandy ground near where she was going to fall. The IS dematerialized, and a handsome blonde male emerged from it.

'Satoshi…san?'

He ran at an incredible speed but with a scared look on his face, and Cecilia clearly saw the panic in his eyes. Just as she was about to crash, the blonde male dived for her, catching her by his chest, his arms tightly wrapped around her head protectively, and Kazuki let her fall on top of him to cushion the impact. The sand below exploded into the air and the loud sound of crashing ensued.

Cecilia's mouth opened in shock then quickly covered it when she noticed she was gawking in fear. Cecilia quickly turned to Yamada and shook her by the collars hysterically,

"I-Is he okay? Was Satoshi-san injured?!"

The poor green-haired woman answered shakily, her eyes turned into dizzy twirls.

"Y-Y-Yes! Alcott-san calm down, Satoshi-kun was perfectly fine, as you can see."

Yamada gestured towards the screen and Cecilia saw that Kazuki had sat up with her unconscious body laid out in front of him. He placed his hand on her forehead and checked her vitals and sighed a sigh of relief. He then stood up, and faced a certain direction with a determined look on his face. He was shouting, pointing at something or someone, seemingly giving commands to call a medics team or something.

Cecilia's heart skipped a beat and she found herself staring at the blonde teen. For some reason, her eyes refused to look away. His commanding gesture, the strong burning determination in his eyes, and his prince-like stature were simply breath taking.

To Cecilia's surprise, Kazuki's attention was back on the unconscious girl lying on the floor. Cecilia was wondering what he was going to do. Kazuki delicately put his arms under the girl's legs and her back and lifted her up.

Cecilia's face flushed red,

 _'_ _P-P-P-P-Princess c-carry?!'_

Yamada placed her hands together with a blush of her own,

"Ahh~! He was like a prince when he carried you here like that."

The clip ended and the screen disappeared

Steam oozed out the blonde and she looked down, most of her eyes shadowed by her front hair.

Cecilia then noticed something on the table just next to her bed. There was a plastic bag filled with delicious-looking chocolate chip cookies and a piece of paper underneath it.

"this is…?"

Yamada blushed happily,

"Satoshi-kun left those there while you were asleep. Isn't he such a sweetie?"

Cecilia pulled out the piece of paper and saw that it was a letter. She read the contents, and Yamada also leaned in for a peek.

* * *

 **To Cecilia Alcott,**

 **It's nothing special, but please have some. I'm really sorry about what happened. Eat this and get well soon** **J** **.**

* * *

Suddenly, Cecilia shouted,

"Sensei!"

Yamada jumped in her seat at her sudden outburst,

"H-H-Hai?"

"What's Satoshi-san's full name?!"

"Why would you like to-"

"Please!" she demanded heatedly, her face red from overload of emotions.

"S-Satoshi Kazuki…" Yamada sweat-dropped at her student's strange demeanor.

Cecilia brought the bag of cookies closer to her chest and looked up at the ceiling longingly with a deep passionate blush,

 _'_ _Satoshi… Kazuki…'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Chifuyu was on her way to her room, and she wore a rather complex expression. She seemed to mull over the things she was told earlier.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"_ _First of all, Lyka's just like the other IS units. It's a full-body, that's the only difference. Lyka may seem sturdy by looks but is, in fact, just the opposite."_

 _"_ _How so?"_

 _"_ _Lyka's not a tank, a vanguard, or a ranged support. It falls under the category of recon, or if you'd like, assassin."_

 _"_ _Assassin?"_

 _Kazuki nodded,_

 _"_ _That's right. While Lyka may look armored, the upper armors are extremely thin, the arm armors are very trivial. But because of this, the speed that I get in compensation is significantly large."_

 _"_ _Just how limited are the other defensive capabilities then?"_

 _Kazuki paused for a bit, hesitating whether or not he should answer. But, he sighed in resignation._

 _"_ _Lyka's energy shield capacity is only 100. That's about it. Normally, all IS usually have around 600 as shield energy, but Lyka's just an exception."_

 _"_ _That's impossible. 100? Even a single direct shot from Alcott's rifle would completely take down your shield. Just what kind of exception is that?"_

 _Kazuki waved his index finger cheekily,_

 _"_ _That's all I can say for now. If Chifuyu-san's unsatisfied, well, think of it like your brother's Byakushiki."_

 _"_ _Byakushiki?"_

 _"_ _In other words, Lyka's also defective. You told Ichika the same thing. It's not exactly a defective unit, but it's specialized more for attack. Lyka sacrifices defense more than Byakushiki for greater attacking potential. Just like how his Reiraku Byakuya drains his energy when using it, all of my shield energy is converted into speed. It's just set that way from the beginning._

 _Chifuyu nodded, understanding the similar words that she used on Ichika._

 _"_ _If that's all, then good night, Chifuyu-san…"_

 _Chifuyu stopped him,_

 _"_ _Wait. You still haven't answered my other question. How did you do it?"_

 _"_ _Do what?"_

 _"_ _Don't play dumb with me, Satoshi. How did you achieve supersonic speed and stop with all that momentum? That's impossible for a normal human. The sheer amount of G-force should have been enough to kill anyone instantly."_

 _Unexpected to the older women, the blonde turned around with a darker expression, his eyes shadowed by his spikey front hair,_

 _"_ _Chifuyu-san, there are things which are better left unanswered. For my safety as well as yours."_

 _Chifuyu cocked an eyebrow amusedly,_

 _"_ _Hoh? Is that a challenge?"_

 _With his back against her he walked away and swung his hand lazily,_

 _"_ _As if. I don't want to die yet, you see."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Chifuyu stared at the door to her own room with an amused grin,

"An IS designed for recon and assassinations, huh?"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki walked down the usual corridor of the dormitory, on his way to his most sacred sanctuary, his bed.

The blonde stretched out an arm and yawned,

 _'_ _That Chifuyu, asking me questions like that. She really is a handful...'_

Then he stopped and saw a woman in black suit shirt and a matching skirt leaning on the room with the label 1025. The pair of sunglasses fell on me and I could see my own reflection on her lenses.

"Satoshi Kazuki?" her voice was sharp, concise and cold. Almost like that of an emotionless businesswoman.

The blonde cocked an eyebrow,

"who are you supposed to be, then?"

She then produced a badge from her pocket and held it in front of her to show Kazuki.

"The Japanese minister of defense has requested your audience. I am an agent sent to escort you to the designated place."

Kazuki sighed,

"No thanks. I've been through a lot today, and I need a sleep. So come try again next time."

He gently shoved the woman aside and gestured to open the door, but stopped midway when the woman spoke once more.

"Your presence is mandatory. Failure to comply will lead to your expulsion from this academy."

Kazuki grunted exasperatedly.

 _'_ _Are you serious…'_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was just another day at the IS academy; the sun shined warmly, the sky sterile of clouds.

The classes were going as planned and everything ran perfectly normally.

"So… erm… unfortunately, because Satoshi-kun has some business with the Japanese government, so he will not be with us for the next few days."

The class whined in disappointment,

"Ehhhhh? No way…"

"We were going to congratulate him for his win…"

Cecilia looked back and stared at the empty seat at the back with a disappointed frown.

 _'_ _Kazuki-san…'_

In the meanwhile, another girl was occasionally glancing back at the empty seat where Satoshi Kazuki usually sat. That was Houki.

 _'_ _What could our government want with Kazuki…?'_ She pondered curiously, but she snapped right out of that thought when she was reminded of something.

 _'_ _W-Who cares about a guy like him! I hope he gets arrested or something!'_ She looked away from the empty seat with a "hmph".

Chifuyu was standing next to Yamada, letting the green-haired woman go over the topics that Chifuyu had pointed out. In her hand, there was a scrunched up piece of paper and she held it angrily, nearly ripping through it with her fingers.

* * *

 **To Orimura-sensei,**

 **I'm sorry to inform you on such short notice, but I will be paying a visit to the minister of defense, so I won't be attending school for the next few days. Thanks for your understanding!**

* * *

A tick appeared on Chifuyu's forehead and she unconsciously let out a devilish aura,

 _'_ _My understanding? You better be prepared, Satoshi Kazuki. Skipping my class like it's nothing…'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Just before anyone knew it, it was the end of the day. Ichika and Houki was walking back to the dorm together

Ichika slightly felt uncomfortable under Houki's gaze on him, and so decided to ask,

"Why have you been staring at me like that?"

Her eyes didn't move for a second, but then she looked ahead and glanced carefully at him,

"Um… Is it frustrating that you lost?"

"Well… Yeah." He admitted.

Houki slightly looked down apologetically,

"Sorry… If I had taught you more about IS handling…"

Ichika gave her a friendly smile,

"Hey, it's not your fault. Besides, I was still able to learn the basics!"

"Huh? Learn the basics? How?"

Houki gave him a strange look, but Ichika quickly covered his mouth and hastily corrected himself,

"A-Ah, it's nothing. Hahaha." Ichika laughed uneasily, much to Houki's confusion.

The two arrived at the dorm entrance, and Ichika headed for his own room,

"Well, my room's that way. I'll see you tomorrow, Houki."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Houki lightly smiled, watching him as he left for the other direction. She then headed for her own room.

Her dorm room was quiet, and it felt all too familiar. One of the beds was left done, untouched, and cold, and she would only hear herself whenever she spoke.

When the night fell, Houki changed into her sleepwear and fell onto her bed. The room was quiet and dark. It used to be more lively and loud. Why was that?

Houki shook her head violently with a self-inflicted blush of embarrassment, the name of a certain someone popping into her head.

 _'_ _No! It's better without him! It's been nice and quiet since he's not been around…'_

She took that thought and contemplated for a long time.

 _'_ _Nice and quiet, huh…?'_

She then turned to the empty bed to the right of her and stared at it for a few minutes before falling into sleep.

 _'_ _Stupid Kazuki'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The class in the morning was just as lively as it would be during the afternoon, and as usual, the girls were enjoying the first break of the day.

"The class league match is coming up soon!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"I'm so excited to watch!"

"Oh yeah, did you hear about the sudden class rep change in class 2?"

"Oh that. A transfer student took over the position, right?"

"A transfer student?" Ichika broke out in curiosity.

"Yup. I heard she's from China."

Cecilia was also nearby to confidently laugh it off,

"I wonder if they're getting reinforcements to counter me."

However, nobody heard her over-confident statement. The blonde pouted.

"I wonder if she's strong…" Ichika wondered.

One of the girls simply shook it off,

"But our class rep is Satoshi-kun! With what he showed us the other day, I'm sure he can win!"

Then an unfamiliar voice resounded from the class door,

"I'm not so sure about that! Don't think you're going to win so easily!"

There was a short girl with a chestnut colored twin tail, held up by two ribbons.

Ichika recognized her almost instantly,

"Rin? Wait, are you Rin?"

Rin pointed a thumb towards herself proudly,

"That's right! National representative candidate of China, Huang Lingyin!"

Her index finger fell onto the whole class provocatively,

"And I'm here to declare my challenge to Satoshi Kazuki!"

Unknown to Rin, she caught the attention of two specific girls in the class, Houki and Cecilia.

"W-Who is she, acting all familiar with Satoshi-san?" Cecilia frowned.

Houki only looked at the chestnut-haired girl with analytic eyes. Just who was she? Coming into another class and challenging a person she probably doesn't even know. Or did she?

Ichika's face warmed as if he was looking at someone nostalgically,

"Rin… Why are you trying to act cool? It's so not like you!"

Rin's face reddened slightly in embarrassment,

"Nah- how dare you!"

She regained her composure short after, remembering what she was there for,

"Anyway, Ichika, good timing. Where's your class rep? The blonde guy!"

She seemed rather eager and impatient to see Kazuki, and she searched restlessly around the class for a blonde dude, but to no avail.

"Blonde? How do you know that? How'd you even know his name?"

Rin took out a smartphone and on it, there was a video playing that featured the fight between Ichika, Cecilia and Kazuki.

"The fight's all over the media. Look at all the views! Anyway where is he?!"

"Satoshi is gone for government business. He won't be here for the next 2 days or so."

Rin flinched at the familiar voice, and so, she turned around with a terrified expression.

Chifuyu was standing behind her, towering over her by a good foot.

"It's time for next class."

"C-Chifuyu-san."

"It's Orimura-sensei. Get back to your class."

"H-Hai." Rin sidestepped out of the way to let the older woman through the doorway.

Before heading out of the class, she turned to Ichika quickly,

"Anyway! You're friends with him right? You better make sure he doesn't run away!"

Then she was gone. All the girls of class 1 whispered among each other in awe,

"Woah… Did you see that girl?"

"Another representative candidate. For China this time."

"Satoshi-kun's going to compete against another representative candidate! I'm so excited!"

Chifuyu tapped her desk with her folders, bringing the attention to class,

"Shush! The break's over. Go back to your seats!"

And the class proceeded just as it would any day.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The bell signaled the end of the first half of the day, and people lined up for their food in the usual canteen.

Ichika, Houki, and Ceilia were sitting together around a round table near one of the windows with each of their own food.

"So? What does the England's representative candidate want with us…?" Houki grumbled, taking a bite from her fish piece.

"How rude! It's only natural to pay my respect to the classmate that I fought against." Cecilia took a small nibble on her piece of sandwich.

"Hmm? Is that all?"

"That's right. That's all."

"…" Ichika quietly ate his fish and rice, his eyes darting left and right. He could sense that Houki didn't like the blonde for some reason. The blonde replied with the same dislike.

He tapped Houki on the side and whispered,

"Oi, Houki, did something happen? You seem kind of annoyed by her."

Houki viciously ripped a piece of fish meat off of the bone and proceeded to eat,

"It's just your imagination."

 _'_ _That's clearly not the case, now is it…?'_ Ichika sweat dropped.

Then, a short twin tail-haired girl came out of the corner with a tray of food and sat down next to the blonde.

"Yo, Ichika, we meet again."

"Rin!" Ichika looked at her like a damsel in distress.

 _'_ _I'm saved!'_

"Oh? These are your new friends?" Rin observed the other two girls carefully, almost calculatingly, but then looked away uninterestedly.

"Neh, Ichika, I heard you were close friends with him. What's he like?"

"Him?"

"You know! Satoshi Kazuki! That mysterious hot-shot from your country!"

Cecilia and Houki's ears twitched slightly.

 _'_ _Our country…?'_ Houki trailed off in doubt.

 _'_ _He's Japanese? He looks nothing like one.'_ Cecilia demurred with a cocked brow.

Ichika tilted his head curiously,

"Mysterious? Kazuki is?"

"What?! You're his friend and you didn't know? He's someone who claims to be from Japan but looks nothing like one. His name sounds Japanese, but nobody knows where he really comes from."

"Eh?"

Ichika, Houki and Cecilia looked at the chestnut hair girl in confusion.

"He's not connected to the government, or any major company in Japan. He just appeared out of nowhere with a personal IS. Not to mention, he's strong! Well, he probably isn't as strong as me!" she proclaimed with a confident smirk.

A tick mark appeared on Cecilia's forehead,

"Excuse me, but who are you, talking about Kazuki-san like you know him?"

Houki picked up a single phrase instantly and narrowed her eyes,

 _'_ _Kazuki…san…?'_

Rin stared at the blonde with a surprised look,

"What? You didn't know much about him either."

Cecilia raised her chest proudly and chastised,

"I absolutely do! Since Kazuki-san and I had fought a passiona-"

However, she was cut off when Houki suddenly stood up and confronted the blonde,

"Now wait a second… You've been calling Kazuki by his name like you're good friends… What's that all about?"

She glared at the blonde, and Cecilia, not fazed at all, turned to her with authority,

"Why, Shinonono-san, it is my way of acknowledging a former opponent. But I should be asking you the same thing. Who are you to Kazuki-san, calling him by his name too?"

"I-I'm a friend… and a roommate…" Houki murmured the last part.

But the other two girls caught onto it like predators,

"WHAT?!" Cecilia and Rin stood up and slammed their hands on the table in shock.

Poor Ichika flinched, sitting in the middle of this maelstrom of tension.

"R-R-Roommate!? With Kazuki-san?!" Cecilia demanded Houki for answers, but it didn't seem like she was getting any.

Rin's face lightly reddened and asked teasingly,

"Hey, does that mean you two are, you know… Dating?"

Cecilia's face paled at the word.

 _'_ _D-Date…? With Shinonono-san…?'_

Cecilia turned to Houki with a dark look and waited for what she was going to say.

Houki's face reddened darker than a tomato and stammered "D-D-D-Date?! W-Why would I w-with a guy like h-him!?"

Ichika's eyes widened in surprise,

"Really, Houki? Wow, I didn't know you two were that close."

"Like I said, it's not true!" A comical tear seeped out of the corner of one of her eyes.

Cecilia's expression turned sunny all of a sudden and beamed,

"Now Rin-san, she says that's not the case, let's not tease her any further. Right Shinonono-san?"

Houki's blush subsided partially,

"Y-Yeah…"

 _'_ _What's with her? Her character just changed all of a sudden.'_ Houki thought as she carefully observed the blonde across from her. But all she could see was one happily relieved teen girl.

Rin pouted in disappointment,

"Tch! What a buzzkill!"

Ichika nodded with a perplexed look,

"Well, if you say so."

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The table was a lot livelier with Rin now sitting and eating a long with the other three.

"But that sure is a bummer… He left for government business, huh? I wonder what kind." Rin slurped at a strand of her ramen frowning in curiosity.

"Who knows… Maybe they called him to confirm his nationality. Even though his name is Japanese, he doesn't look Asian at all." Ichika deduced.

"Hmm… That is true… Blonde hair and blue eyes. Just like Alcott." Houki opened a single eye and glanced at Cecilia.

"Cecilia is fine. His gentlemanly aura, the strength; there's no mistaking it! He must be born from an English family."

"You'll never know… He may even be from America, France, Germany or Russia." Rin pointed her chopstick at the blonde correctively.

Ichika took the last bite of his rice and asked,

"Anyway Rin, I'm surprised! Since when did you become a representative candidate?"

"That's my line. You were in the news! I heard you moved an IS by accident. What happened?"

"Well, a lot of things happened since then… A lot of things." Ichika laughed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Rin only hummed understandingly.

"But I noticed earlier, do you still not get along well with Chifuyu-nee?"

Rin flinched and sweat-dropped,

"W-Well… I'm just not good with her, that's all…"

Houki, watching the interaction, couldn't fight off her curiosity, and so, decided to interject,

"Wait… Rin was it? I was wondering for awhile; how do you know each other?"

Ichika looked at her in surprise,

"Oh didn't I tell you about her before? She's also a childhood friend of mine."

Houki hummed intriguingly,

"Hmmm… I see…"

 _'_ _She's pretty… on top of that, a representative candidate of China… Wait a second… Why do I feel so calm accepting this girl as Ichika's childhood friend? Normally, I would be very bothered about this…'_

Houki shook her head with a light blush,

 _'_ _No. That makes me sound like I'm jealous… but that's because I like-'_

Houki looked down and mused with a perplexed frown.

 _'_ _I like…'_

Then, the face of a familiar blonde popped into her head.

Houki's blush deepened, but she shook her head violently in denial.

 _'_ _NO, NO, NO! Impossible! An existence that contradicts every aspect of bushido?! A perverted scum like him? There's no way.'_

Cecilia saw Houki shaking her head randomly,

"Erm… Are you okay, Shinonono-san?"

Rin then picked up a word in Ichika's sentence and peered curiously,

"Also? So you're his childhood friend too?"

The blush quickly subsided, and she looked at the short girl properly in the eyes.

"That's right." Houki nodded.

"And you're also a friend of Satoshi Kazuki, but not dating, am I right?" Rin cocked a brow questioningly.

"Y-Yeah."

"Well then, nice to meet you Houki. I hope we can get along well." Rin smirked for reasons Houki didn't understand. But she acknowledged her tone as somewhat of a challenge.

"Yeah. I hope so too."

Ichika only sat in the middle of this, feeling the tension in the air at the tip of his tongue.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

I was led to a rather fancy elevator that had a carpet floor and everything. I was squashed in the center with two buff guards standing on either side of me, and the woman who led me here in the front.

The door slid open, and front of me, was a long hallway with armed guards everywhere.

"This way please, Satoshi-san." The woman in black gestured as she stepped out.

I did as I was told and followed the woman through the hallway and through a well decorated door.

"Ah! It is so good to have you with us, Satoshi Kazuki." A man's voice greeted when I walked through the door and saw a short Asian man with a standard black suit on.

"It is my honor, Minister Hamada." I slightly bowed to show my respect.

"Please, call me Yazukazu. Take a seat. I have a lot of things that I would like to discuss with you this evening. Of course, once we're done for the day, we have a VIP suite prepared for you in a nearby hotel."

 _'_ _Yes! I expect no less from the minister of defense!'_ I mentally fist pumped.

I sat down on the high quality sofa that he was gesturing towards,

"So, Yazukazu-dono, what would you like to ask of me?"

"You see…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The talk with the minister was done for the day. Kazuki entered what was supposed to be his own VIP suite. As expected, it was like an apartment floor. Carpet floor, flat screen T.V. top quality sofa, a kitchen and everything. His dorm room couldn't even compare to a room like this.

 _'_ _As expected of an elite room…'_

Kazuki threw off his blazer, and his white long sleeves. He jumped onto his queen sized bed and stretched his arms and legs out.

 _'_ _Man… I'm so damn tired… It's already 1 in the morning. That minister sure likes to talk.'_

Kazuki stared at the white ceiling in thought,

 _'_ _I wonder if Houki and Ichika are doing alright…'_

His eyes slowly closed, and soon enough, Kazuki fell deep asleep.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

It was that dream again. The white universe where I was at the center. Then, just like last time, images flew past me.

All I could see was silhouettes of three people; 2 adults and a child in the middle, holding on to their hand. All their faces were covered mostly by shadows, but the one thing I could see was the bright smile on the boy holding on to both of the adults at his sides.

I felt a pit form in my stomach when I watched the image. I reached out for it with my metallic hand, but the image only faded away into the darkness at the end of this white universe.

 _'_ _What is this feeling… It hurts… Who are they?'_

The corners of my eyes started to fade into darkness, and my vision narrowed.

 _'_ _M-Mom… Dad…'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Two days have passed since the day Kazuki left to meet with the government.

It was late in the evening; about 8pm. Houki was in her room, drying her wet hair right after her shower. Today, she wore a pink yukata sleepwear with a belt that held it together.

She had to admit it, she was a little nervous. It's been 2 days and Kazuki was predicted to comeback today.

She paced around the room with a troubled look,

 _'_ _Urr… What should I say when he comes back… Welcome back? How was the visit?'_

She shook her head in embarrassment,

 _'_ _No, no, no… That's too awkward… After all, the last thing I said to him was when I yelled at him in class… and I said he was cowardly, unfair and dishonorable in front of his face too…'_

Houki gritted her teeth anxiously. She just couldn't think of what to say.

 _'_ _I should apologize first…'_

She went back to her pacing,

 _'_ _I was just really upset when Kazuki said those things to me then, but in truth, I was glad that he pointed those out… and I'm not mad about that anymore… More like, I want to thank him… He scolded me and tried to make me a better person by pointing out my mistakes. Plus, thanks to him, I was able recover my friendship with Ichika…'_

Houki let out a sigh and clenched her fist with firm determination,

 _'_ _I'll make him tea properly this time…'_

She blushed and covered her chest instinctively when she recalled the last time she tried to make tea.

Then a knock came from the door, and it made her jump slightly.

 _'_ _He's here!'_

Houki quickly ran to the door, but silently, and cleared her throat.

 _'_ _O-Okay, I can do this… Just act natural…'_

She opened the door and greeted with a smile,

"W-Welcome back, Kaz-"

But she stopped mid sentence when she saw a familiar short girl in front of the door carrying a large bag. It was Lingyin from this afternoon.

"Yo!" she gave her an innocent eye smile, her one hand raised nonchalantly.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Rin shrugged under Houki's fierce glare. She sipped a bit of green tea from a cup she was given. Her face brightened surprisingly,

"Ohh! This tea is surprisingly fresh and calming!" she complimented.

But Houki was having none of that. She crossed her arms and demanded,

"So? What are you doing in my room? You have your own room, don't you?"

"Correction: It's not only your room. It's his room too." Rin corrected with a cheeky grin.

Rin placed her cup down and smiled,

"Switch rooms with me."

"Hah?! Don't be ridiculous! Why should I?!"

Rin smirked deviously,

"The rumors are going around. Shinonono-san hates Satoshi-kun."

Houki's eyes widened,

"W-What!? That's not true!"

"Hoh? Then you like him?"

Houki blushed,

"T-There's no way I'd like a scum like him!"

Rin frowned,

"See. It's clear that you either don't like him or just hate him."

"That's…"

A knock on the door interrupted her thought.

"Ah! It must be Satoshi-kun! Hai! I'm coming!" Rin ran for the door.

"A-Ah! Wait you little-!"

Rin opened the door impatiently and pulled it open with all her might. Her eager smile fell into a frown when she saw the wrong type of blonde.

"Good evening Kazu- Nah- What are you doing here, Rin-san?!" Cecilia's bright smile fell into a frown of disappointment.

"That's my line! What are you doing here?!" Rin retorted.

Cecilia brushed her off in a high-class demeanor,

"Well, I came to visit Kazuki-san, but it seems like he's not here yet…"

Houki growled,

"Why do you need to see him in his room anyway?! You can see him tomorrow in class!"

Cecilia ignored,

"Well since Kazuki-san's not here, I would like to talk to Shinonono-san about something actually."

"Talk to me…?" Houki trailed off perplexedly.

Out of nowhere, a luggage appeared in front of her with a thud.

"Yes! I would like to switch rooms with you." She exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Houki and Rin yelled in unison.

"You're kidding! You too?!" Houki yelled in disbelief.

"Hey, don't joke around! I asked her first!" Rin said defensively.

Cecilia turned to Rin with a rather confident smile,

"Ah-rah, Rin-san, Kazuki-san barely knows who you are. In fact, he's never seen you before. What makes you think that you have a right to switch rooms?"

"Guuu…" Rin slightly shrugged.

Houki crossed her arms once again,

"Then what about you Cecilia? He's only seen you twice. Once in class and in the arena."

"Y-Yeah! That doesn't give you much rights either!" Rin joined in, hoping to take the blonde down with her.

Cecilia flinched, but kept her transcending smile on,

"W-Well, the number of encounters does not matter. What matters are the impacts of each encounters."

Houki frowned,

"I don't find that reasonable."

"Me neither" Rin added.

Cecilia's face reddened and pouted in frustration.

"Either way, I heard from everyone that you hate Kazuki-san! So why are you so against changing rooms?"

"Like I keep saying, that's not true! I never said I hated him!"

"But you called him a scum." Rin added.

Houki stammered,

"W-Well, that's because… because he is!"

"See." Cecilia and Rin accused in unison, much to Houki's irritation.

"T-Then what about you? You lost the match against him! Why would you want to be roomed with someone who beat you?" Houki demanded with newfound confidence.

Cecilia shrugged with a blush,

"E-Erm… I decided to share a room with Kazuki-san as a punishment for losing the match… Yes… a punishment…"

"Don't decide that on your own!" Houki and Rin shouted, which made Cecilia yelp in surprise.

Rin's lips turned into devious smile,

"Anyway, I'm sure you don't like sharing a room with a boy. So let's switch!"

"I-I never said that I don't."

Cecilia pointed at Rin accusingly,

"Then Rin-san's fine with sharing a room with a boy?"

Rin placed her hands on her hips and made herself look bigger.

"Hmph! I'm not scared of-"

Then there was another knock on the door.

A tick appeared on Rin's forehead,

"Again?!" she then murmured incoherently, thinking it was another girl with the same goal.

She pulled the door open roughly,

"What do you wa-"

Rin's pupil's widened when she saw a tall, tired looking male towering over her by more than 2 feet. The blue eyes looked down and met her emerald eyes.

"Kazuki!"

"Kazuki-san~!"

Houki and Cecilia's voice snapped Rin out of her trance and she stared at the teen in front of him,

 _'_ _Ehhh?! W-Wait, this is Satoshi Kazuki?! He's tall! He looks so much more different than in the video!'_

The blonde boy cocked a brow and stared back at the short girl in front of him.

"Erm… I'm so-" before Rin could say anything, Kazuki then suddenly lifted her by her pits like he would a child.

Kazuki smiled warmly,

"Are you lost, little girl?"

Houki and Cecilia's jaws dropped.

"Wha-"

"Nah-"

Rin blushed madly at the sudden contact and yelped, tears threatened to come out.

"I-I-I-I…"

"Alright, let's go find your mommy and daddy." Kazuki tried to back step out of the room, but suddenly, the girl in his hands struggled violently.

"P-Put me down, you pervert!" she yelled.

"H-Hey stop moving around so much!"

Kazuki tried his best to calm the little kid down, but suddenly, he was punched with an oddly great force. The punch sent him straight into the wall across from the room and onto the floor, releasing the girl in the process.

"Arghh… Damn… What a punch… That really hurt." Kazuki groaned but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw an arm of an IS instead of her own arm.

 _'_ _Hmm? Partial activation… Pretty quick too.'_ Kazuki rubbed the back of his head painfully.

He then frowned upon realization,

 _'_ _Wait… She actually punched me with her IS…? If I wasn't partially metal, that might have just killed me…'_

Her eyes were shadowed by her front hair, but Kazuki could see the red blush on her face,

"I-I-I'm not a little girl! I'm Huang Lingyin of class 2!" she declared before

running away faster than anyone could say "cheese."

Kazuki stared at the open door stupidly. He blinked multiple times and his eyes only remained wide incredulously.

He then saw a familiar blonde walk out of his room,

"Oh! It's you, Alcott! What are you doing in my room? Your injuries alright?"

The blonde frowned at him,

"Kazuki-san."

"Hmmm?"

"Please get bitten by a dog and die!" she jeered.

Cecilia let out a sharp "Hmph" and walked away coldly. He reeled back in confusion.

Houki walked up to the door with a similar frown, but he didn't notice it.

Kazuki tilted his head in confusion,

"Neh, Houki, what was that all about?"

"Kazuki."

"Yeah?"

"Get kicked by a horse and die!"

The door to his own room slammed shut, and Kazuki was sat on the floor with the funniest expression on his face.

"…"

 _'_ _I was gonna ask if they missed me, but I guess that answers that.'_ He scratched his head lazily.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"I… Wait… I beg your pardon?"

Kazuki was late for Chifuyu's morning class today. Again. It was not the greatest way to start the day, to say the least.

He had to wait until Houki left the room just so that he could sneak in to get his stuff, and now, here he was, in front of an angry teacher. But who was going to believe that nonsense.

"How many times must I tell you, fool, since you won the class rep competition, you have to participate in the league matches against the other classes, and you have the first match this afternoon."

Kazuki shook his head incredulously. What happened while he was away? Plus, why wasn't he informed beforehand?

"But… Nobody told me about this!"

Chifuyu pressed her index finger against his forehead applying a bit of force,

"Your visit to a government official is not an excuse for not being informed with your school work."

"That's unfair…"

"Life's unfair, Satoshi. You call yourself a man after all this complaining?"

Kazuki face palmed and let out a deep breath,

"-sigh- okay… Then I would like to step down from my position as a class rep. It was going to be a pain in the neck anyway…"

Chifuyu glared dangerously,

"Your place has already been decided. There's no going back."

He huffed arrogantly,

"And what if I decide not to show up to this match?"

"This happens."

The instant the words left her mouth, she disappeared from his vision, and an arm wrapped itself around his neck from behind. Then he noticed a soft sensation touching his back.

 _'_ _Eh, w-wait a secon- Gahh!'_ He blushed lightly at the unexpected contact, but he was cut off from his thoughts when the arm tightened around his neck. He was being choked as if he was in a one-sided wrestling match.

But it wasn't the choke that he was concerned with. It was that soft feeling at his back that was making him uncomfortable.

He struggled to squeeze out a few words,

"Okay, okay… G-Give, give, Orimura-sensei..."

He tapped her arm lightly several times for mercy, and to his relief, she let go.

"Good. As long as you understand. Now go sit down."

Ichika watched Kazuki walk back to his seat with the most distraught face he had ever seen on a person.

 _'_ _Poor Kazuki… Chifuyu-nee really likes picking on him'_

Two girls in the same class, Houki and Cecilia, watching this exchange, had rather gloomy and depressed looks on their faces.

 _'_ _Ah… I did it again… I was suppose to greet him back yesterday, but only ended up saying something like that and throwing him out of the room…'_ Houki mentally slapped herself in the forehead, regretting what she did.

 _'_ _And now he's in trouble again because I didn't let him in…'_ Houki tapped her pen against her table in thought.

She then shook her head in denial,

 _'_ _No. He deserved it! I didn't think he'd be as low as a lolicon with that lecherous grin…'_

Cecilia looked down and let out a long regrettable sigh,

 _'_ _I can't believe I said those cruel things to Kazuki-san! When I should've been thanking him for saving my life, I instead told him to die…'_

Almost simultaneously, they sighed in frustration, and the girls in the class would look at them obliviously.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was lunch time and as always, I asked for a bowl of ramen; I really couldn't get bored of it. The only thing that I look forward to in school is always lunch, is that weird?

Anyway, I saw Ichika take a seat next to me with a tray of his own food.

"Yo Kazuki, how was the meeting with the government?"

I took a casual sip of the soup,

"Well, it wasn't really that interesting to be painfully honest. Kind of a waste of time it was…"

Ichika took a bite out of his fish and munched,

"Why? -munch- what did you -munch- do there?"

I also took strands of noodles into my mouth,

"Well, -munch- they asked me -munch- to be this IS representative of Japan -gulp-. It sounded like a pain in the neck, so I turned them down."

Unfortunately, Ichika was drinking some water when he heard that, and so, he spat it out in my face in a mist.

"You turned down to be the IS representative of Japan?! Are you serious?! Oh."

Ichika finally noticed the unimpressed look on my face and tried to wipe off a bit of water on my face,

"Y-You got a bit of uhh…"

I took a tissue and wiped off the excess water,

"Anyway, yeah. I mean, I'm honoured, but think about the IS representative candidates. They'd be pretty upset if some nobody took the title."

"But you didn't tell them the reason why you didn't want it, did you?"

I took a sip of water,

"Meh! I told them not to talk about our conversation in the press so-"

Then, all the T.V. monitors flashed into life and a news reporter was doing her report.

 **"… a young IS pilot by the name, Satoshi Kazuki, surprisingly turned down the offer to become an official IS representative of Japan because it was 'too much of a pain in the neck.' The government was left stunned with that remark and…"**

We looked at each other stupidly until Ichika broke eye contact and pointed to the T.V obliviously,

"Hey, look… It's as if they're talking about you…?"

I heard something break inside me.

"Oh… Shieeeeeeet…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Here I was again; back in the barracks, waiting for the signal to ready my IS and set off. I was alone with Chifuyu and Yamada who were just as usual in the command center just above my head.

 _'_ _Makes sense I guess… Houki wouldn't come all the way to see me off. That would be uncharacteristic of her.'_

A screen popped in front of my face and Yamada's voice resounded from a radio channel,

"Your opponent is a representative candidate of China, and she has a close combat type personal IS, called Shenlong. Her name is Huang Lingyin."

I hummed intriguingly,

"Hmmm… A close combat, huh? On top of that a representative candidate…"

 _'_ _But wait… Huang… Lingyin? Why does that sound familiar?'_

I placed my hands on my chin ponderously, but shook it off quickly as me over-thinking.

"Satoshi." It was Chifuyu's voice this time.

"She's a different opponent from the ones you already faced, so don't let your guard down."

"Hai, hai." I drawled.

Then, a green light appeared in the barracks. That was my signal to go.

I ran across the launch track towards the edge of the barracks. While running, I activated Lyka, the light enveloping my body. Then my running became heavier, quicker; the sound of machine mixing in with the stomping sounds as I rushed towards the arena on all fours. I dropped down onto the sandy ground powerfully. I brushed the dust cloud away in annoyance.

Once again, Chifuyu had the amused look on her face as if she was watching her favorite sport.

"Now would you look at that. Mobile activation. You girls have a lot to learn from him. That goes double for you, Ichika."

The girls she was referring to were none other than Houki and Cecilia. They were currently glaring at each other, electricity could almost be seen discharging between their glares.

"Ah-rah, Shinonono-san, is it alright for you to miss lunch? I heard that they have a nice menu today…"

"I brought my own lunch today, so no worries. What about you, Cecilia? You sure you don't want to go back?"

"Yes, I am quite sure. Besides I brought sandwiches with me today."

Their glares only intensified, and Chifuyu and Yamada watched the young girls with a sweat drop.

Chifuyu cocked an eyebrow in interest and slightly smirked to herself amusedly.

In the meanwhile, Ichika stood just behind the 2 arguing girls with a sweat drop.

 _'_ _Why don't these two ever get along I wonder…'_

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

"It's about to start!"

"I can't wait. Start the fight already!"

"Go Satoshi-kun!"

"Beat class 2 and show 'em who's strong!"

"Don't let them have at their way, Huang-san!"

"Show class 1 who's stronger!"

The crowd was oozing with excitement and both sides cheered for the fighters on the field.

Kazuki stood up from his crouch position after jumping off the barracks, and looked up to observe his opponent, but was surprised to see the same little girl from yesterday,

"Oh, it's you again. You were in the same year?" he said in a mildly surprised tone.

Rin drew her black scimitar intimidatingly, the face of the blade lighting up in red.

"You've done quite the number on me yesterday, you pervert. But, if you apologize now, I'll hold back so I won't hurt you too badly."

"I don't need any of that. Come at me with everything you got." Kazuki smirked in anticipation.

"Just so you know, absolute defense isn't perfect. With a power that overwhelms the shield, you can hurt the opponent without killing them." She warned.

Kazuki's smile widened excitedly,

"Yeah, I know."

 **"** **Please begin the match"**

The instant the signal to begin was given, Rin rushed towards the wolf-like IS with a war cry,

"Haaaap!"

She swung her scimitar overhead with all her might. Rin, however, slightly gasped when all the long-range weapons disappeared from Kazuki's IS. Instead, his Gatling gun arm was replaced by a normal IS arm.

 _'_ _W-What's he doing?'_

She ignored the thought and proceeded with her swing, but only to be stopped by a pair of tri-blade ebony claws.

Yamada exclaimed in surprise,

"Wow. He dematerialized his long range weapons again. Satoshi-kun didn't hesitate to use his tungsten claws though..."

"The fool's challenging her. He's either testing her or himself in close combat." Chifuyu deduced calmly, albeit exasperatedly.

Cecilia pouted in dissatisfaction beside Houki, who only watched the action in silence.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Author's notes again; like I said, not really fond of long ones, so I'll keep it short.**

 **Hi readers, thanks so much for taking the time to read this. It's my first fanfic, so hope you'll understand the sub-par quality. I was really excited to see that 1 fav and 1 follow. But I have yet to see a single review! If you've got dirt on me, say it! If you have nice things to say, say it!**

 **I've made changes to each chapter for any grammar mistakes and added perspective changes to chapter 3 (it was god awful when I read over it). Also, I'm working on chapter 8 as we speak, so do keep your eyes out for that.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 7**

Kazuki pushed against Rin's scimitar, putting them both apart momentarily.

"Hmmm. Stopped the first strike, huh? But I'm expecting more from someone who beat the representative candidate of England barehanded!" she acknowledged with an amused smile.

Rin summoned another scimitar on her other hand and charged again. The two pilots were engaged in a spectacular exchange of strikes; Rin horizontally swung her left inward, then slashed outward in a fluid motion. Her right also swung down, then up. She then swung both scimitars inward, making an 'X' shaped slash.

But unfazed, Kazuki blocked every strike accordingly with a calm attitude. He parried the first horizontal swing with his right, his left claw retracted. Following up with the first strike, Kazuki parried again, but with his left claw extended, and now his right claw retracted. When Rin swung her right scimitar downward, Kazuki only sidestepped and dodged. But her vision was fixated on him, and she immediately followed up with a powerful upward swing, but Kazuki parried it away with his right.

The last parry slightly threw her off balance.

"Oh no-"

Kazuki grinned and his eyes glinted at the opportunity. He retracted his right claw and struck her bare stomach with an open palm. He then proceeded to deliver fast multiple palm strikes at exposed parts of her body; her chin, shoulder and chest.

Rin reeled back slightly and grunted. Her shield had decreased already by about 150.

 _'_ _I underestimated him… I didn't think he was this skilled in close combat.'_

But she didn't have time to think. When she tried to make some space, Kazuki only moved closer towards her with his fearsome looking claws.

She parried a sharp claw swing away from her chest, and leaned back to avoid a slash across the face.

Ichika's attention was glued onto the screen watching the flashy exchange of their weapons, watching the sparks fly around,

"Woah… I didn't know Rin was that strong. She's actually holding her own against Kazuki."

Chifuyu placed a hand on her chin,

"Hmm… But, it looks like Huang is at a disadvantage."

Yamada agreed, watching the battle from a screen along with the others,

"That's true… Satoshi-kun seems to have the upper hand in close combat…"

Cecilia laughed gallantly,

"Hohohoh! As expected of Kazuki-san! After all, he did defeat me"

Houki looked at the blonde with irritated eyes,

"Shut it, you fox with a human mask."

"Hmph, better than a demon wearing one."

Both stared daggers each other.

Ichika raised his hands and gestured both to calm themselves,

"Now, now."

But the intense sound of clashing brought all of them back to the match.

Rin was forced back after a flurry of slashes from Kazuki's tungsten claws. She instantly summoned another scimitar in her other hand and immediately brought it to the side of her to block the other claw coming in for her hip.

Rin cursed under her breath,

 _'_ _I don't believe this! I have both my Shouten Gagetsu and yet I'm falling behind really badly!'_

"Kuhh! Alright then! No more holding back, prepare yourself, you pervert!" The hovering pair of spheres behind her shifted, and light seemed to gather like some kind of cannon.

When sufficient energy was gathered, Rin released the energy into a shot, and a pair of fairly invisible projectiles of light fired with a loud buzz.

The projectile flew fairly quickly across the air. Several times faster than a laser shot from a rifle.

Yamada exclaimed excitedly when she saw the cannons fired,

"Oh! That's-"

Kazuki brought his claws up and crossed them. The projectiles ricocheted off of the blades, leaving absolutely no scratch on the high-density metal.

Kazuki frowned in surprise,

 _'_ _Woah. One direct hit from that up close and it's game over for me. Actually, forget that, I'm going straight to the hospital.'_

"W-what was that, just now?" Houki trailed off in awe.

"That must be the impact cannon." Yamada said while swiping her way through the data scattered all over the interactive hologram. When she found the relevant screen, she expanded it for everyone to see,

"It compacts and pressurizes space, and then fires it as a shell. It's a third generation weapon like Alcott-san's Blue Tears."

"Woah, that's so cool…" Ichika envied.

Cecilia placed a hand on her mouth and boasted,

"Not as amazing as my Blue Tears by a long shot!"

Chifuyu then added analytically,

"But unlike Huang, Satoshi's only using his claws to fight her, which is nothing more than a first generation weapon."

She then smirked and let out a short chuckle in realization,

"Satoshi, that sly brat. He thinks this is a game."

"Eh? What do you mean, sensei?" Yamada asked curiously.

"He's been evening out the odds; a set of 3rd generation weapons against a first generation weapon. But Satoshi's compensating that difference with his superior close combat skills."

Cecilia also realized the same thing,

"He did that for our duel as well! He went into his default settings and fought with only his hands and feet."

Cecilia frowned and pouted as it didn't sit well with her for the fact that Kazuki was trying harder than when he fought against her.

But, as if Chifuyu was reading her expression, she assured the blonde,

"Don't look so down, Alcott. He just didn't use his weapons against you because you were more of a shooter than a fighter. Remember? Challenging a long-range gunner with close-range equipment is foolish."

"Please don't remind me…" Ichika retorted shamefully.

Cecilia recalled to the words that she spouted before and understood the message immediately.

"You are definitely strong. There is no doubt about that." Chifuyu added.

Cecilia saw the rare encouraging look on her teacher's face and slightly gaped at her in surprise and respect.

"T-Thank you, sen-"

"But of course you have a lot to improve." She ended, with the usual Chifuyu attitude.

Cecilia fell face first onto the ground comically.

"A-Ah, I see… Thank you…"

Houki, in the meanwhile, tapped on her foot impatiently.

 _'_ _Argg… What is he doing?! Stop playing around and finish the match already! Since you beat Ichika, his reputation as a Bushi is on the line!'_

Ichika saw the anxious expression on Houki and asked,

"What's wrong, Houki?"

"If he loses this match…" Houki then raised a fist with a glint very similar to the one Chifuyu has.

"I'll have him cut his stomach open." She ended with a sinister flash in her eyes.

Ichika reeled back fearfully with a shade of purple,

 _'_ _D-Don't lose Kazuki. Seriously. Don't lose.'_ He prayed mentally for his friend's future well being.

Rin flew away from the werewolf IS and while she did, she strafed using short bursts from her impact cannon, firing at a fairly rapid rate.

But no matter where and how quickly she went, Kazuki only drew closer and closer, slashing with his streaked black claws.

 _'_ _Gosh, he's so stubborn, it's annoying!'_

Rin stopped in mid air and then flew in the opposite direction. In other words, she flew directly towards Kazuki.

"Take this!"

Rin snapped both her scimitars together into a dual ended spear and swung down on her enemy.

Kazuki raised both his claws and formed a cross over his head to block the strike.

Rin smirked,

 _'_ _Naïve!'_

Kazuki noticed the impact cannon charge up behind the girl. He swiftly somersaulted back and dodged the shots.

Rin gritted her teeth in frustration,

 _'_ _He's way too fast. I just can't keep up. But this speed isn't even close to what he did in the video! I've got to do something…'_

Kazuki chuckled behind the metallic snout under his IS,

"I guess that's it then, representative candidate of China."

The werewolf IS was already nearing Shenlong to Rin's despair.

"Oh cra-"

But that's when it happened. A single spec of light shined from the sky and in a split second, the arena barrier shattered and a purple beam of light dug into the arena ground, creating a bright large explosion. The whole arena shook from the sheer force.

Everyone in the arena froze.

Rin stared at the dome of fire and smoke with a nervous sweat,

"W-What?"

"…the hell?" Kazuki's eyes narrowed like a tiger, and his sense of alertness was suddenly high.

The spectators also stood up in confusion,

"W-What was that explosion just now?"

"Did an attack miss the target?"

"Earthquake?"

The people in the command center were also in a state of confusion. The ground beneath them rumbled violently.

"What? What's happening?" Cecilia looked towards the teachers.

Yamada's hands were once again busy, shifting data around like managing traffic.

"System damage. Something seems to have pierced the arena shield!"

Chifuyu immediately picked up the receiver and ordered,

"The match is cancelled! Satoshi, Huang, return to the barracks at once!"

The siren went off, and the whole area had been placed under lock down. The protective steel walls activated and closed off the spectator's view.

There were screams of panic and fear among the spectating girls as they headed for the nearest exit.

"Kazuki!"

"Kazuki-san!"

Ichika and Cecilia ran up closer to the screen to see what was going on in the arena with looks of concern.

Houki, however, stood still in her spot, clenching her hands tightly into fists as if she was watching a horror movie.

Meanwhile, Kazuki saw that all the spectating area had been sealed up with protective walls and felt a little relieved. But he continued scanning the area around him for potential threat.

"Just what on earth is going on…" he trailed off.

But a screen popped up in front of and saw that it was Rin.

"Pervert, the match is cancelled. Let's return to the pit immediately."

Kazuki eyed the center of the arena, which was where something had landed with a powerful crash, causing the earlier tremor.

Then suddenly, another screen popped up and caught Kazuki's immediate attention.

"Wait. I've detected a heat source at the center. It's got a lock on me."

He zoomed into the blazed field and saw a silhouette of what seemed like an IS.

"It's an IS from an unknown organization…"

"An unidentified IS? W-wait then, what should we do?" Rin seemed to be slightly flustered.

Kazuki assessed the situation carefully,

"No, we should do as we're told. We're indeed IS pilots, but we're just 1st years. We're not trained to deal with these types of situation. Besides the teachers should be here anytime soon to take care of this."

Rin nodded blankly.

"Oh, uh… Alright then…"

But she snapped out of her trance,

"Na- Now wait a second! Why should I take orders from a perv like you?!"

Kazuki only smiled nonchalantly,

"Well. You do whatever you want. I'm following Orimura-sensei's orders. You see, she's one hell of a scary teacher."

Rin startled at the name and sweat dropped,

 _'_ _Geh! Chifuyu-san…'_

"F-Fine."

The two turned around and started for the barracks.

"Wait!"

Kazuki stopped mid way when Chifuyu's face popped up.

"What's wrong, sensei? We were just about to comeback…"

"For some reason, most of our system has been placed under lockdown. The students are still stuck in the spectating area, and the teachers are trapped in the storage rooms."

"What?! Then the students are in danger!" Houki exclaimed and clasped her hands into a fist nervously.

"Kazuki! Rin!" Ichika yelled in front of the screen, but they wouldn't hear his concerned cry.

"Kazuki-san…" Cecilia watched the screen anxiously, her hands held together in hope.

Rin noticed Kazuki stop suddenly, which also prompted Rin to stop.

"Oi, why're you stopping all of a sudden?"

She didn't get a response for a few seconds, which irritated the girl greatly.

"Hey! I asked you why you stopped! Don't ignore me!"

Kazuki's face popped up on her screen, with an unusually serious expression.

"The students… They're still in the arena near the seats. They're in danger."

Rin's face slightly paled,

"W-What?! Where are the teachers? Why haven't they shown up yet?"

"They're not coming. At least until the system is back up."

"Hah?! Wait! No way! What is that supposed to mean then?!"

Before Rin could continue on with her complaints and situation assessment, she noticed a flash of light in the corner of her eyes. A purple laser shot punched through the smoke in the center of the field and it headed directly for Rin.

Her eyes widened for a second, thinking that it was going to hit her dead on. Her shield was too low to take on a direct hit. The shot was going to hurt her directly.

 _'_ _This is going to hurt.'_ She frowned in dismay.

But her vision was blocked when Lyka suddenly appeared in front of her. She was pushed aside roughly without a word, and she slightly yelped in surprise. Then the laser hit the top of Kazuki's shoulder, creating a quick purple flash as it dispersed upon impact.

Kazuki grunted slightly in pain and saw his shield energy shoot down to 10.

He laughed uneasily,

 _'_ _As expected of a light armored unit. A single graze on the shoulders did a number on my shield…'_

Rin recovered herself from the initial shock from the push, but she noticed the streaks of electricity snaking around Kazuki's unit.

She squinted perplexedly,

 _'_ _That shot landed on the shoulder, that shouldn't have done too much to his shield…'_

However, she could see the cracks and the slight burn marks on the metal pieces.

 _'_ _But why does his unit already look so worn out?'_

Kazuki clicked his tongue, brushing the broken metal debris off his shoulder,

"A beam weapon, huh? It's got an even higher output than Cecilia's Blue Tears."

"Hey!"

A screen with Rin in it appeared in front of Kazuki, and she seemed to be mildly confused about something.

"Oh, you're okay. Lingyin, was it?" Kazuki gave her a lackadaisical smile.

But Rin's expression showed nothing but seriousness and even Kazuki couldn't laugh off the stoic expression on her face.

"How can you help a stranger like me, even using your own body as a shield?"

Kazuki tilted his head slightly in wonder,

"Shield? What are you talking about?"

"E-Eh?"

A sweat drop formed on Rin and she also tilted her head in confusion.

Kazuki gave her a sheepish smile,

"You see, you were just kind of spacing out, so you were kind of, you know, in the way. Eh-heheh…"

A vein bulged on Rin's temple,

"Heh… Is that so…"

She then yelled with shark teeth,

"Then how about I help you with that!"

She then fired a barrage of projectiles from her cannon manically.

"Woah! Watch where you're shooting! You trying to kill me?!" Kazuki dodged and deflected most of the shots with a sweat drop.

"Get a clue! That's what I'm trying to do!" Rin shot from her impact cannon ceaselessly, sending a hail of invisible projectiles.

Chifuyu face palmed behind the screen, dumbfounded by the ridiculous farce playing out in front of her.

Ichika and the girls also sweat dropped at the antic.

In the midst of the chaos, Kazuki noticed something strange, and tried to get Rin's attention,

"Hey, just… Calm down for a second!"

Thankfully, Rin's frenzy stopped momentarily and she stared at Kazuki through her screen with an extremely irritated glare,

"What."

Kazuki watched the unknown IS unit amidst the flame still dancing on top of the arena grounds.

"Don't you think it's weird that it hasn't attacked us while we we're talking?"

"What are you…"

Then it hit her; she also looked at the direction of the unknown IS.

 _'_ _Wait… now that I think about it, he's right… The unit hasn't attacked us while we weren't paying attention…'_

Rin changed her mind and agreed,

"Actually, you're right… It is weird… Listening to everything we're saying, word for word."

Kazuki cocked an eyebrow as an idea popped up in his head,

"... like a robot?"

Rin gave Kazuki a questioning look

"What are you saying? IS are robots."

"That's not what I mean."

Rin could only squint further in confusion at what Kazuki was implying.

"I'm saying; is there really a human on board?"

"Hah?! IS don't move without humans-"

Rin stopped for a second. She gave the IS one last look. But then she shook her head in doubt,

"No. There's no way an IS can move on its own…"

Then, without a warning, the unknown unit jumped off of the ground and flew directly towards Kazuki,

"It's coming!"

They Rin and Kazuki split, and flew in different directions. The black unit gave chase, but Lyka was a lot more superior in speed, so he was a good distance in front.

Mid flight, a thought came across Kazuki,

 _'_ _Should I bring out my ranged weapons and destroy the unit quickly? Or what if there's a pilot inside?'_

Rin sent a barrage of projectiles towards the unknown unit as it chased down Kazuki.

But its high speed movement was proving to be quite a challenge to hit, furthermore, the black unit was rather agile, successfully dodging all the shots.

However, she didn't stop shooting in hopes of being able to support Kazuki.

Kazuki smiled gratefully,

"Great! Just keep that up for a little longer until-"

Then, Kazuki felt an unexpected explosion at the back of his shoulder, and the next thing he noticed was that he was falling rapidly. Black smoke trailed out of one of his jet at his back shoulder as he was quickly losing altitude.

Kazuki then crashed onto the sandy floor, creating a small explosion of dust.

"Satoshi-kun!" Yamada called out in fear of his student bearing serious injury.

"Kazuki! Yamada-sensei, what happened?!" Ichika asked impatiently, unable to figure out what the problem was.

But Cecilia knew what had happened,

"His jet engines have sustained quite a damage earlier when he took the shot for Rin-san."

"But what happened to his energy shield? He didn't take a single hit from Rin. How is he like that already from a single shot to the shoulder?" Cecilia's deduction only seemed to confuse Ichika further.

"That's…" Ichika saw the perplexed look on Cecilia's face, and presumed she wasn't sure of it herself.

Ichika then turned to Houki, sister of the one who invented the IS. But she seemed to be silently contemplating on something.

Then, out of the blue, Houki turned to Chifuyu,

"Orimura-sensei, you seem strangely calm and collected watching Kazuki crash with only a single graze on his shoulder."

Ichika and Cecilia also looked and Houki was right. She was watching with her arms crossed and a stoic expression on her face. But she was watching with the most serious expression; Ichika and Cecilia could tell.

Chifuyu momentarily closed her eyes and sighed,

"-sigh- nothing gets past you, does it, Shinonono? At least now I'm sure you're really her little sister."

Houki ignored the last comment, though it bothered her a little bit.

"What do you mean, Chifuyu-nee?"

Chifuyu paused momentarily, but she seemed to have resigned.

"You guys don't know this yet, but Kazuki's unit is special."

"Special?" Cecilia repeated.

Chifuyu then face palmed and smiled helplessly,

"I say special, but it's just outright weird."

"Weird?" Ichika repeated.

"Kazuki's unit, Lyka, is a recon oriented IS, meaning it's built for mainly speed and high-tech equipment for sabotage, infiltration, reconnaissance, and assassination."

"But that doesn't explain why Kazuki went down after a single hit." Houki interrupted, impatiently waiting for Chifuyu's full response.

Chifuyu continued, "Even with all those specs, Lyka has one big flaw. And that's his tiny shield capacity."

"How low is it for him to go down after a graze on the shoulder?" Houki pressed.

"100."

"What!?" the three students sputtered in unison.

Cecilia walked up to her teacher heatedly. There were things which sounded weird and unbelievable. But what she heard just now was beyond her ability to register.

"100?! That is impossible! That is not even a proper IS! A direct hit from anything can prove fatal with that kind of capacity!" Cecilia demurred.

"An IS with 100 shield energy… How can such a unit even exist. An IS like that is useless in battle." Ichika mused, questioning its practicability.

"He makes up for it." Chifuyu said simply, watching the dust cloud with an expressionless face.

"Make up for it…?" Houki probed with mild curiosity. She had to admit, she was a little bit excited. What Chifuyu was about to say was pretty much the only thing Houki knew about Kazuki.

"You all may not have realized but Kazuki broke the sound barrier for a fraction of a second in your duel about a week ago."

Cecilia then remembered watching the video in the infirmary of how quick Kazuki moved, easily maneuvering himself between the path of the projectiles.

"Yes! I remember! He did it twice. He evaded the heat seeker missiles purely with speed. And he used it again to save me."

Ichika also added,

"He was so quick; much quicker than Byakushiki. We couldn't land a single hit on him during the duel."

Houki placed her fingers on her chin ponderously,

"But that still doesn't make sense. What does his speed have to do with his shield capacity?"

Yamada helpfully opened a visual of Lyka, just as Chifuyu gestured for her to do so.

Chifuyu's finger traced across the whole of Lyka's body armor; the arm plate, chest, back, and the legs.

"In exchange for speed, he's forfeited a large portion of his armor. As you can see, his armor is basically composed of simple steel alloy plates, no thicker than 4 inchs."

Houki slammed the surface of the nearest table with her hands in utter disbelieve,

"Only 4 inch steel alloy!? Something so weak won't even last a single hit against the weakest laser projectiles from even 1st generation units! That's impossible!"

Cecilia and Ichika slightly jumped when Houki suddenly burst out in shock. But they had to agree with her. An armor like that was just ridiculous in this day and age where almost everyone owned an IS with at least 2nd generation state-of-the-art weapons.

"You're right, it is impossible." The students all looked at her with mildly confused faces, but Chifuyu elaborated,

"That's what I thought too, and I didn't believe it when he told me the same thing. But look at what that graze did to his unit. His shoulder armor came right off."

Houki couldn't deny that, since she saw it happen in front of her eyes.

"But thanks to that, he can move at speeds that surpass even 3rd generation – no, 4th generation units; if they even exist."

Meanwhile, Kazuki was coughing out the bits of sand in his mouth, and was slowly getting up on his feet. From within the snout of his wolf IS, he felt warm blood flow down to his eyes.

He glanced back at his jet engine and the end of it was completely charred.

 _'_ _-sigh- there goes one of my jet engines… Gotta manage somehow on the ground then…'_

Rin's faced appeared on a screen,

"Oi! You okay?!"

She seemed surprisingly concerned when the IS crashed hard onto the field with a big dust explosion.

Kazuki gave her an eye smile,

"I'm perfectly fine, as you can see."

"Fine?! Half your face is covered in blood!"

However, he didn't have much time to chitchat as the unknown IS charged at him for a lariat.

Kazuki calmly took his defensive stance to counter, but suddenly his vision blurred and froze in his spot.

 _'_ _W-What?'_

Yamada saw that the system had detected a problem with Kazuki,

"Satoshi-kun?!"

"Wait, why did he suddenly stop? What happened?" Ichika asked in confusion.

Cecilia covered her mouth with her hand in dread,

"At this rate he's going to…"

Houki's eyes widened when she realized what would happen if Kazuki took the hit without any shield energy.

The black IS was nearing Kazuki, traveling at a dangerous speed towards him.

"Satoshi-kun, watch out!" Yamada's plea didn't reach him.

Chifuyu's grip on her arm tightened and her eyes never left the screen.

Now, the arm of the unknown IS was approaching Kazuki's face.

In the last second, Kazuki shook his head violently and woke up from his daze. He quickly sidestepped, but the enemy IS' arm managed to hit the tip of the jaw of the metal snout, completely destroying it upon impact.

"Kuh!" Kazuki reeled back defensively, regaining his composure from his earlier daze.

Rin shot multiple projectiles from impact cannon, trying to pull the attention away from Kazuki. The shots landed on the ground next to the black IS, shooting up dust into the air, creating temporary cover for Kazuki.

"Now's your chance! Get out of-"

Rin believed that in a dire situation like that, Kazuki would escape from the area, but she saw him do the exact opposite.

From the cloud of dust, a pair of red eyes flashed and moved through the cloud with unbelievable haste. Before the dark IS could register what it was, one of its arms was lopped off, and met a foot to its abdominal area. The IS shot out of the cloud of dust and tumbled a fair distanced across the sandy field.

Rin watched with amazement, mesmerized by Kazuki's show of expertise. But she soon snapped out of it when Kazuki shouted,

"Fire! Now's your chance!"

Rin did as she was told almost immediately and began sending a hail of projectiles at the downed IS.

Another dust cloud had covered the black IS.

"Is it over?" Rin squinted slightly to look into the wreckage more clearly.

To her dismay, she saw the dust cloud being swiped away as the black IS brought forth its arm in front and aimed directly at Rin. Purple particles gathered around the barrel on its arm, preparing to fire.

"Hey, you! Look out!"

But Rin wasn't going to be able to move away in time. She braced for impact, getting prepared to endure whatever pain was to come.

There was a shot, but it wasn't the shot from the unknown IS, but from a familiar blonde pilot with a sniper rifle. The shot was able to put the black IS off balance, forcing its shot to miss Rin.

"Oh! Alcott! You came!" Kazuki greeted in relief.

Cecilia was at a far corner of the arena, blushing and fidgeting shyly,

"U-Uh, y-you can call me Cecilia, Kazuki-san."

"Haha, really? Then thanks for the backup, Cecilia."

The instant the word left his mouth, Cecilia collapsed with a deep red blush, steam oozing out of the top of her head.

Then, Ichika's face appeared on Kazuki's screen,

"I'm also here too, Kazuki! I've got your back!"

Kazuki smiled warmly at his determination,

"I see. Thanks. I'll leave it to you, Ichika."

With that, Kazuki extended his claws out threateningly and dashed toward the IS on the ground, winded by Cecilia's earlier shot.

The head of the enemy IS snapped up, and shot several times. With his speed and high perception, Kazuki dodged each shot, watching the projectiles fly past Lyka's metallic snout.

The unknown IS began charging up for a powerful blast, but before it could initiate the attack, Kazuki swung his claws upward, knocking the arm away from its aim.

"Now, Ichika!" Kazuki shouted, quickly moving out of the way to reveal Ichika, ignition boosting just behind Kazuki, his energy blade drawn.

"Take this!" Ichika stabbed at the black IS' shoulder, and the energy blade went straight through the shield and through its metallic shoulder. But it didn't seem to have taken it down just yet as it kicked Ichika to the ground.

 **Warning: shield energy approaching critical level**

Ichika noticed the message in the corner of his eyes and cursed under his breath,

 _'_ _Crap, I don't have any energy left!'_

"Ichika!" Kazuki yelled.

The enemy IS raised its arm and aimed at Ichika on the ground. Ichika saw the gathering of the purple particles and braced for a great deal of pain. But to his surprise, he didn't feel it.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the laser projectile whiz past literally 2cm from his face. But his eyes widened at the sight in front of him; there were three black blades sticking out of the chest of the enemy IS, and Lyka was behind it, pushing the blades deep into its back. Kazuki finished it off by viciously twisting his claws still inside it and threw the limp IS away.

Rin instinctively took a step back with a sweat drop,

 _'_ _Uwah… If I fought against this guy, that probably would have been me there on the ground."_

She secretly thanked the lords that the match was interrupted.

Ichika sighed in relief and chuckled,

"Phew… Thanks Kazuki. If it wasn't for you- umm Kazuki?"

However, Kazuki silently stared down at the downed IS much to Ichika's confusion. It as if he was looking at it in pity.

Suddenly, there was a loud sound from the arena megaphones.

"Ichika! You okay?!"

It was Houki. She was standing on the edge of one of the barracks, with a look of relief.

Ichika smiled and waved,

"Yeah, I'm alright! Don't worry!"

But Cecilia noticed the downed IS move,

"Kazuki-san, it's still moving!"

Rin then noticed its arm pointing towards the barrack,

"Oh no! It's aiming for the barracks!"

Kazuki quickly snapped out of his thoughts and eyes widened in despair,

 _'_ _Houki!'_

Ichika shouted,

"Houki! Get back!"

Everyone rushed towards the downed IS to finish it off before it could fire. Everyone except for Kazuki.

But it was too late, the shot fired, and the projectile raged through the air towards Houki. She gasped and froze on the spot. There was no point in running; the projectile was going to reach her in less than 2 seconds.

 _'_ _Is it going to be the end…? With so much things left undone…?'_ A single droplet of tear fell from her closed eyes, and when the tear dropped on to the barrack floor, there was an impact.

"HOUKI!" Ichika screamed, panic slowly overtaking his conscience.

The whole group was then suddenly thrown off their feet from a big explosion of dust and their visions became impaired in a giant of cloud of dust.

Meanwhile, in the command center, Yamada noticed a large glint of red in someone's status screen. She glanced at it for a second, but something seemed to have greatly spooked her.

"S-Sensei! Orimura-sensei! Th-This!"

Chifuyu heard the distressing call of her assistance and went over quickly to see what the problem was. When she looked over a certain status screen, her eyes widened incredulously,

"T-This is…"

Houki felt no pain, and for a second, she believed that it was a shot to the head. But she noticed that she was completely unharmed.

 _'_ _But I'm sure there was a laser coming my way…'_

She carefully and slowly opened her eyes to see that it was dark. Or rather something black was obstructing the view of the field in front of her.

Confused, Houki took a couple steps back to see a heavily damaged black IS. She was suddenly on guard,

 _'_ _Is it the enemy IS?'_

She took a few more steps back, a bit of cold sweat running down her back. But it wasn't the same enemy IS she saw earlier. It had a snout; the jaws broken off, hunched legs like that of a ferocious beast. It was like a black werewolf.

Then it hit her. Her eyes widened and she was frozen in her spot in shock.

"K-Kazuki…?"

It was Lyka; not the usual bright blue color, but slick and ominous black.

The IS was positioned directly in front of her and had its body hunched protectively over her.

The IS remained motionless, but a bright voice greeted from behind the half-broken snout.

"Yo, Houki. You hurt anywhere?"

Houki quickly went over to the IS in search of Kazuki's human form. Her voice was full of fear and concern,

"This isn't the time to be worrying about me! You need to get medical attention right now! You took a shot with no shield! We need to call-"

"Houki."

Houki looked up at the IS and saw that its head was slightly tilted upward for her to see.

"See. I'm perfectly fine."

Houki could see the weak smile through the broken snout, which pained her to no end.

"K-Kazuki…"

They both noticed Ichika's crew fly into the barracks with equal looks of worry.

"Oi, Kazuki! You okay?!"

"Kazuki-san!"

Ichika and Cecilia both set their IS to their closed forms and ran to Kazuki with panicked expressions.

Rin saw the damage clearly as she slowly approached Kazuki's hunched up unit,

"Hey, you alright…?" Rin carefully walked up to Kazuki's unit, fearing as if his IS was to fall to pieces if she even breathed on it.

Rin slightly jumped when Chifuyu's stern voice caught her off guard.

"All of you! Go back to class now!"

"But sensei-"

"That was an order! Now!"

Houki tried to protest, but Chifuyu's death glare pierced through her; which was Houki and the others' signal to scuttle out of there.

"Okay, everyone, this way." Yamada helpfully lead the other students out who occasionally glanced back in concern.

Kazuki cursed the awkward silence that ensued between him and Chifuyu once again. He flinched when Chifuyu started walking closer to him.

 _'_ _Crap! She's going to hit me-'_

He clenched his eyes shut in brace for the punch, but instead, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder gently. His eyes widened considerably when he saw the wistful smile on her face.

"Your stupidity really does remind me of Tabane…"

In that instantaneous moment, Kazuki couldn't hear a single word; he noticed something was different.

 _'_ _Why is she making that face? Why is she trying to hide her emotion?'_

The thought disturbed him greatly. He could tell that Chifuyu was forcing herself to smile, and the problem was that he didn't know why. Was she hiding something? What was there to hide?

"…oshi! Satoshi!"

Kazuki blinked a couple times, then snapped out of his trance, and threw a smile,

"Yeah? I'm okay, so please don't worry-"

He tried to walk away, but felt all the energy disappear from his legs and collapsed onto the cold floor.

"Satoshi!"

Kazuki grunted in pain and coughed violently multiple times. He tried to suppress his cough by covering his mouth, but to no avail.

Chifuyu quickly went over to Kazuki but her eyes widened in shock when she saw his bloody hand.

Without a second thought, the older woman flipped out a phone and started dialing,

"This is Orimura Chifuyu, we need an emergency crew at-"

Kazuki reached for her phone and closed it shut. The blonde's condition was a lot worse up close, there were veins popping out through the skin of his neck up to his cheek.

"What are you doing?!"

Kazuki struggled to speak, but he managed to squeeze out a few words between pants,

"You can't… call the hospital…"

"Look at the state of you. I am your superior, you do as I-"

She stopped when Kazuki's grip tightened,

"Please."

For the first time in her long career of being an IS instructor, Chifuyu hesitated; she searched for the correct thing to do while staring into the determined look in the blonde's eyes.

Taking a moment to take a breath, Kazuki let go of her hand and stood up on his two feet.

He wiped a bit of blood off of his mouth and opted to walk out of the room,

"I'll be okay after a few hours of sleep in the infirmary…"

But Chifuyu quickly grabbed his hand to stop him. Kazuki gave her a confused look when she refused to let go for about a minute.

Then he saw Chifuyu's expression change, and it occurred to him that she had made a decision,

"I'll… help you get there…"

Kazuki only smiled gratefully and allowed her to put his arms around her shoulders for support.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: This might be longer than I want it to be, so bear with me.**

 ****IMPORTANT** I forgot to add a scene in Chapter 6; it's a quick dialogue between Ichika and Kazuki after he comes back from his Gov. business. Just search the phrase "It was lunch time" and read only that short scene, it's important, so go back to chapter 6! For those of you who are just starting to read my story, ignore this little note. Really sorry for the inconveniences for the older readers.**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews, to answer them; firstly, I don't have an original script to follow, but there will be non-canon bits (e.g. Kazuki having a drink with Chifuyu in her room, and Kazuki's relationship with the gov.), but these are purely for character development, and have nothing to do with the story. I write each chapter as I watch the anime episodes. These sorts of digressions are what makes my story easy to follow or as someone said "fluid".**

 **Secondly, about Chifuyu's relationship with Kazuki; Chifuyu is, as we all know, a stoic, commander-like character in the series, and she is a leader who doesn't let emotion interfere with her work. But she still is like any other women out there, she can worry about other people, she can love other people; she just doesn't let it show. That's all I'll say about that.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **Several hours later…**

Kazuki's screams of pain could be heard from the infirmary if someone was to walk by.

Yamada watched Chifuyu give "treatment" to Kazuki with a shade of purple on her face.

"Ow- damn! That hurts! Can't you – GAH – do it a little more gently, Orimura-sensei!?" Kazuki pleaded in agony.

"Put up with it; you're a man, aren't you?! It's because you pull off reckless stunts like that. For all I know, it could have gotten worse." The raven-haired instructor only applied more force.

Kazuki threw his trademark smile,

"But in the end, I didn't die, right? Lucky!"

To add insult to injury, Chifuyu literally slapped a med patch onto Kazuki's back without holding back.

"Gaahah!"

"Ah-noh… Orimura-sensei, I think that's enough med patches…" Yamada shook in fear. Rather than treatment, it seemed more like torture.

Chifuyu wiped a bit of sweat off her face,

"If you want to go kick the bucket, go do it after you graduate. I don't want to be doing the paper works when you do."

Kazuki grimaced,

 _'How honest of her…'_

Yamada wondered curiously

"But that is really amazing, Satoshi-kun! Your condition saw such a big improvement with just few hours of sleep!"

Kazuki nodded slightly uneasily,

"Yeah… I told you I'd be better after a few hours of rest."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

I pulled down my shirt in relief,

 _'Thank goodness they let me keep my shirt on. If they pulled the shirt up a little higher, they definitely could have seen wires in my shoulder.'_

When I turned my head slightly to look, Chifuyu was giving me a very suspicious look,

"That's quite hard to believe; your chest was slightly collapsed, your back bones have cracks from the way it feels, and your blood pressure was abnormally high."

I simply shook it off,

"Bah! Medical, medical, and smart words I don't understand. I feel just fine!"

"But Satoshi-kun, there was one thing that really worried us during the match." Yamada started. I also saw Chifuyu nod as if she knew what she was going to say.

"O…Kay? And that is?"

Yamada seemed to be having trouble putting it into words, so Chifuyu said it for her,

"You were supposed to be dead."

"huh? But look I'm-"

"I'm talking about something different. When your IS turned black, your status window showed that any pilot riding that unit was or should have been dead."

…

I found myself looking for words to explain, but it was hard. This only urged them to continue,

"The recorded G force inside your cockpit was 350 G. Even a second of exposure could easily kill the most experienced pilots. Even I wouldn't be able to survive that."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Chifuyu saw the struggling look on Kazuki's face and pressed on.

"You've managed to reach supersonic speed several times, but your speed today reached mach 5. This looks too good to be true."

"Satoshi-kun…" Yamada must have seen Kazuki's struggle to find the right words, she wanted to console him as his teacher, but Chifuyu's question was equally as important to her.

Kazuki sighed,  
"Well, there's no reason to hide it I guess… That transformation… It's called Second Shift."

Yamada's eyes widened in shock,

"Second shift? I thought that was just a theory!"

Chifuyu understood,

"I see now. Second shift is the upgrade from the 1st where the unit transforms in terms of appearance and abilities. It's rare to see IS evolve, and no one's been able to attain it. I'm guessing that was your one-off ability?"

The blonde nodded and smiled sheepishly,

"But even I was surprised… This was my first time activating second shift. I didn't think it would put that much strain on my body."

…

The room was filled with silence.

Then, Yamada stood up with a stern expression. Kazuki was surprised to see a serious Yamada.

"Satoshi-kun. Promise us that you won't activate second shift ever again. Orimura-sensei told me; Lyka is a highly defective unit, so it's too dangerous to activate it again."

Kazuki whined in a low voice,

"Well… I don't really-"

"Do as she says."

Chifuyu threatened with another med patch in her hand.

Kazuki's expression brightened and obeyed almost immediately, making his whine earlier seem almost non-existent,

"Hai! I promise!"

Goodness gracious… She does live up to her reputation. Demon teacher.

I was still lying on my stomach on the infirmary bed, and I could smell the drug from the med patches all over my back.

I thought I was going to get some rest now, but the two teachers remained, much to my discomfort.

"Ummm… Aren't you guys, you know, busy with things?" I asked, implicitly asking them to leave, but Chifuyu remained rooted in her position stubbornly.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Yamada was about to leave, but Chifuyu crossed her arms and interrogated, which made the green-haired instructor to freeze on the spot.

"There was actually one more thing you haven't answered yet."

She smirked when she saw Kazuki flinch very slightly.

"It's still hard to believe that you managed to live through 350G. Satoshi, when I look at you, it feels like you're always hiding something."

Kazuki frowned, but he forced a smile,

"Say, what's for lunch today, Yamada-sensei? I'm really dying for a good bowl of ramen…"

Chifuyu pursued,

"You're dodging the question, Satoshi."

He continued with the same smile,

"I hope it's not spaghetti today; they never do the meat balls right."

"Kazuki!" Chifuyu now demanded impatiently.

Both teachers were then stunned to see the sad smile on the blonde youth's face,

"Please… Don't make me answer that question…"

Chifuyu was lost for words. She had never seen such a weak expression on Kazuki's face.

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary opened and 4 people casually walked in.

"Yo Kazuki, you feeling okay?" Ichika was the first to reach Kazuki and pat on his shoulder gently.

"Kazuki-san~ I baked some cookies for you an hour ago." Cecilia walked in after Ichika and cooed.

Houki and Rin, in the meanwhile were bickering away at each other.

"Like I was saying, Kazuki's my FRIEND. So I have more rights than you!"

"Hah! I'm Ichika's childhood friend, and so, Kazuki's a friend of my friend! Which also makes me eligible!"

"Wha- now you're calling him by his name!"

"Well, no one here calls him Satoshi; I don't want to be the only one!"

Chifuyu hesitated to speak up and interrupt. Then she turned around for the door,

"Yamada, we're going."

"But sensei…" Yamada showed signs of concern, but Chifuyu shook her head.

The two left the room quietly.

Kazuki's expression brightened when he saw the four come in a rowdy fashion,

"You guys! What are you doing here? It's like…"

He quickly glanced at the clock,

"… 1 O'clock in the morning!"

"It's been 5 hours since the match, and nobody told us anything. So we were worried, so we all came to check on you. Yamada-sensei sent us a message just now telling us that you were here." Ichika said as he took a seat on a stool nearby.

"And Cecilia! Don't think you're going to get ahead of us just because you baked some cookies!" Rin accused, to which Cecilia flinched.

"Wha- I am not-"

"Don't include me, you midget!" Houki retorted.

"What did you just call me?!"

The room was hectic, and Ichika rushed in to try and neutralize the situation, but to no obvious avail.

Kazuki just lay there on the bed with the most confused expression on his face. But his face melted into a very genuine smile.

 _'Tabane. You gave me a purpose. And that was to protect Houki. But… I think I found my own reason to live.'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was another beautiful day at the IS academy, the sea breeze swept through the island and the leaves all danced as they fluttered with the wind.

Houki was walking down the school hallway, making her way towards Kazuki's infirmary room.

 _'I didn't get to say a thing the other day…'_ she massaged her temples in irritation

"So…"

But she wasn't alone. Cecilia, and Rin were walking casually with her.

"Why are you guys following me?!" Houki gritted her teeth.

"You thought we'd let you get ahead of us and get all the good stuff? Heh?" Rin poked her arm accusingly.

"I'm only visiting him!"

Cecilia puffed out doubtfully,

"Hmph! You say that but you just want to be alone with Kazuki-san."

Houki flinched, and the two girls picked up her flustered expression like predators,

"Horah, see? It's true." Rin looked at her doubtfully.

The three girls had reached just outside the infirmary door,

"ANYWAY, I need to talk to Kazuki alone, so you guys stay out." Houki said stubbornly.

"She dodged the issue."

"Yes… Quite magnificently so."

Just as Houki went for the doorknob, Rin intercepted her and barged through declaring,

"Hey, Kazuki~! Wake up!"

"Ah, Rin-san no fair!" Cecilia quickly followed suit, ignoring the dumbstruck Houki outside the room.

"Oi!" Houki also rushed into the room, but what she saw was an empty room; the window was open and the curtains fluttered with the warm breeze invading the room.

"He's not here…?" Cecilia looked around, occasionally looking under objects to see if Kazuki was hiding.

"Did you lead us into the wrong room?" Rin crossed her arms at Houki, but she seemed confused.

"No… I'm sure this was the room. You two still remember, right? Like there, those med patches he had yesterday." Houki casually pointed at the bin filled with crumpled up med patches.

"…"

"…"

Rin and Houki just stood there staring at each other dumbly while Cecilia looked under tables, and stools in search of Kazuki.

"Houki… could it be that…"

"Oh…"

Cecilia turned around with an oblivious look,

"Did you find Kazuki-san?"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was late afternoon, the day just approaching dusk. Houki was back at the student accommodation with her head down in fatigue. She was literally dragging her feet behind her.

 _'Just where is this idiot? Moving around with a back injury…'_

She stopped in front of her dorm room and hesitated,

 _'Should I tell Orimura-sensei? No. I'm just going to get Kazuki into more trouble… I've given him more than enough trouble as it is…'_

She reached for the door, but stopped, and her hand went straight onto her chin to ponder,

 _'But what if he gets injured... or worse…'_

Houki paced back and forth,

 _'Arghhh! I'll make myself some tea and think it over.'_

When she opened the door, she saw Kazuki nonchalantly pouring some tea for himself.

"Kazuki?!"

He turned to her with a surprised look,

"Oh, hey, Houki. I'm just pouring myself some tea. This tea has some weird name though, supreme earl grey…" he casually took a sip from it and revealed a face of delight.

"Hey it's actually pretty good!"

"What!? I was saving that for the cake tomorrow! And it was sooo expensive!" Houki bawled in mock tears.

Kazuki paused with his mouth still in the tea. He lowered the cup from his lips and stared at it for a good 30 seconds.

Then he held it out to her,

"Do you-"

"No I don't!" Houki yelled with an embarrassed blush on her face.

Kazuki flinched and placed the cup down onto a nearby table quietly.

Houki shook her head,

"More importantly, why aren't you in the infirmary? We were all looking for you."

Kazuki sat on his bed,

"It's sooo boring! I'm just lying down doing absolutely nothing."

Houki face palmed,

"Look, there is no person in this world stupid enough to walk around pouring tea with a broken back with a smile on his face."

"Well, there is one in front of you… And no, it's just a crack."

"You know what I mean!"

"Uh… No I don't, because I'm stupid and I walk around pouring tea with a broken back."

…

 _'This guy…'_

A dark aura surrounded Houki dangerously, and Kazuki sensed it with a sweat drop.

Kazuki finally let out a warm laughter, and Houki also couldn't help but chuckle.

"Looks like you're back to your usual self."

Houki furrowed her eyebrows,

"What are you saying? I've always been myself."

Kazuki leaned back comfortably,

"I don't know. You looked pretty down recently."

That made Houki think,

"You know… About that…"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm sorry about your injury… If I didn't come out on to the barracks you wouldn't be…"

Kazuki just waved off,

"Bah! It was nothing, really!"

But the girl insisted,

"No I'm serious, Kazuki! It's my fault that you were injured… there's no mistaking that."

"No one can blame you for that, I mean you were worried about Ichika, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

Kazuki stopped her, and continued with his rare seriousness,

"Houki. You were concerned for Ichika's well-being. You should cherish that feeling. It's a wonderful thing to be able to care about someone like that. If you feel regretful, that's insulting your feelings for Ichika."

"But still…" Houki frowned in shame. She knew Kazuki was right, but she still couldn't accept it.

Seeing the stubborn look on her face, he smiled,

"Houki, have you ever heard of the story about the boy without a heart?"

Houki recognized it immediately,

"Yeah, the one where he couldn't take in the emotions of others? But that's such an old story. My aunt read it to me when I was 10."

He smiled and nodded,

"He always wondered why people were wearing a fake smile. It wasn't just the children of his age, but his own parents wore the same expression like a mask. The book says that he was able to notice things that other people wouldn't. And that was the problem."

Houki was having trouble following,

"W-What was?"

"All he could see was the repressed feelings of others; the negative emotions they want to hide, to run away from, like pain, regret, and hatred. What he couldn't see or understand was the meaning behind the masks they were wearing."

"I never really understood that story, now that I think about it… What did they mean?"

"The mask is, on the contrary, their expression of desire; the positive emotions they seek and yearn for. We want to love, care, and worry about other people even if those feelings are a lie. You can't love without hating. You can't care without feeling pain. And you can't worry without regretting. The mask's there to only show the positive emotions and hide the negative ones. But the boy couldn't understand that without a heart. So he died without ever being able to love, care or worry about another person."

"That's... actually really sad..." Houki looked down slightly. Kazuki was completely right.

"So, don't regret coming out onto the barracks; you came out because you care and worry for Ichika." Kazuki finished reassuringly.

Houki smiled,

"You're right. I can't let my negative emotions control me. Thanks Kazuki."

Kazuki threw his arms out and let out a tired sigh,

"Wow, all that philosophical talk sure sapped me right out… I'm going to sleep. Good night."

"Y-Yeah, alright…" Houki ended awkwardly with a hue of red on her face. She went over to her own bed and sat down.

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

The story of the heartless boy was one of many books Tabaco owned at her place, but this story in particular grabbed my interest, but I couldn't quite put a finger on why.

Anyways, I stretched out my arms and legs and prepared to sleep, but like I said many times, fate has its way of screwing people over. There was a knock on the door. The problem was, my bed was closer to the door, so I'm automatically assigned to be the 'doorman'.

I looked over at Houki, and she was looking at me expectantly.

"Fine."

I flipped myself out of bed and opened the door with a large frown, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Yamada on the other side of the door.

"Oh, Yamada-sensei, is there something you need?"

The green-haired teacher gave me a smile,

"It's time to move!"

"Hai?"

Houki seemed to have heard her as she peeked out from her bed.

"We've made new room arrangements. Shinonono-san will be going to a different room."

For some reason, Houki stood up in a startled manner,

"Please, w-wait a minute! Do I have to do that right away?"

"Well, I'd think so. I'm sure Shinonono-san's not comfortable that a young woman and a man have to share the same room."

"A-Actually… I…"

I saw Houki turn to me slightly in hesitation. Then it hit me like a hammer.

 _'Oh, I am so stupid! How could I not have known all this time!'_

"Houki."

I could see the anticipated look on her face.

So I gave her a thumbs up and a determined smile,

"Don't worry about me, I'll be able to get to class on time and I'll do my homework without you having to remind me."

* * *

 **=Perspective Change=**

* * *

Houki's expression darkened when Kazuki easily shook her off like that.

"Sensei! I want to move to the new room right now!"

Startled by her sudden outburst, Yamada reeled back with a sweat drop,

"H-Hai…"

With that, Houki stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her loudly.

Kazuki tilted his head in perplexity,

"What's up with her all of a sudden?"

But he soon dismissed it as his imagination and threw himself back onto his bed.

 _'Finally, some peace-'_

…was what he thought until he was interrupted by another knock on the door.

A vein bulged on his temple.

 _'Oh, fate… Why do you hate me so much?'_

Once again, he jumped out of his bed and opened the door with an unimpressed frown. To his surprise, it was Houki with an embarrassed blush, her arms crossed as well.

"What, you forgot something?"

"I-I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay? Why get all formal?"

"It's about the individual tournament next month… If I win the tournament…"

Houki was fidgeting quite a lot; her fingers were wiggling nervously. Then, suddenly, she raised her voice and blushed intensely,

"I-I'll have you go out with me!"

Kazuki blinked and his eyes fluttered multiple times.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… wait, what…?"

Houki panicked after seeing his reaction and so she quickly added,

"Y-Yeah! You owe me a box of supreme earl grey tea! I'll have you come and buy it for me!"

Then, Kazuki laughed out loud,

"Ohhhhh! Right! Ahahahahahaha! It's funny because I actually thought you were asking me out! Silly me, right? Hahahaha!"

Houki's blush intensified even more to the point her face became as red as a tomato. She couldn't take it. Eventually, she broke down and ran away as quickly as her legs could take her.

"Ah, wait Houki. Oi!" but her figure disappeared from his view and he was left with the most confused look on his face.

Little did he know, there were three girls from his class that were listening to the whole ordeal from around a corner of the corridor. One of them was Nohotoke Honne.

"Did you hear?"

"Oh yes I did!"

The three huddled together excitedly and exclaimed,

"This is big news!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki returned to his bed with a sheepish look.

"What's wrong with going out to by a bag of tea? Strange…"

He closed his eyes to sleep, but then it creaked open tiredly when he remembered his visit to the minister of defense.

"I forgot… They wanted me to call back about that second offer…"

He sighed lazily and picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hello? It's Satoshi Kazuki from the other day… Yes, about that second offer… Yes. If you can come pick me up a week from now, that'll be great thanks."

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki stood leaning on the door of her new room, panting furiously with a deep blush.

 _'Why did I say something like that?!'_

She wiped a bit of sweat off her face and contemplated seriously,

 _'It just… came out of impulse.'_

She then violently shook her head,

 _'No, no, no, no, no! That just sounds as if I like-'_

She stopped there and deeply thought about that last phrase,

 _'It's as if I like…'_

Unconsciously, images of Kazuki's face popped into her head. She then proceeded to smash her head against the door repeatedly.

 _'NO, no, no, no, no, no! He's only a close friend! The one I like is…'_

She paused.

 _'I need some sleep.'_

She shoved her key in and unlocked the door. Thankfully for her, the room was empty. She then fell face first onto her bed and fell immediately asleep.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was another sunny day at the IS academy. But Houki wouldn't be outside to enjoy it. She was in her new room. It felt very dull and quiet now that Kazuki wasn't with her in the same room.

She took a bag of green tea leaves, and poured hot water into her favorite cup.

"Mmmm~ Green tea never fails to calm me down."

Then, a knock.

Houki gently set her cup down and walked over to the door,

"Who is it?"

"Yo, it's me!"

She recognized the voice, and it startled her quite a bit. Events from last night kept coming back to her, so she had to slap herself a couple times to push the thought away.

"K-Kazuki? H-How did you know my new room number?"

"Never mind that, I have something important to tell you, so open the door." His voice seemed slightly desperate.

Puzzled, she opened the door only to be caught in a tight embrace.

Houki yelped and she felt blood rushing up to her face.

"W-W-W-What are you d-d-doing?! K-Kazuki?"

The blonde buried his face into the side of her head and cooed over her shoulder,

"I'm so sorry, Houki."

Houki's head was spinning; she had no idea what to do, and her face only got redder.

"W-W-What are you t-talking about?"

"All this time, I didn't notice it… But I can't live a single moment without you beside me."

Houki's eyes widened and her heart skipped a bit.

"W-W-What a-are y-you say-"

"I love you, Houki."

His embrace only tightened, and Houki just stood there stunned,

"I-I-I-I…"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. All you have to do is follow my lead." He finished in a reassuring voice.

"F-Follow what?"

Just as Houki feared, Kazuki lifted her up like a princess and threw her on the bed.

"W-W-Wait, I-I'm n-not r-ready!"

Kazuki only smiled,

"You're so cute, Houki."

His face approached her's closer and closer.

Houki stared at his lips getting dangerously close and-

"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Houki woke up with a jolt, screaming. She quickly looked around panting furiously and it was still dark. Most importantly, HE wasn't there.

 _'J-Just what kind of d-dream was that!?'_ Her face was so red, she might as well be Johann Schmidt from Captain America **(A/N: Google it)**.

She heard a shuffling noise from the blanket of the other bed. Houki instinctively reeled back and tried to cover herself with the blanket,

"Heeek!"

Rather than the male voice she was expecting, it was a chirpy female voice,

"Houki-san, please, it's only 2 in the morning…"

She then realized, it was Cecilia,

 _'Oh right, I moved to Cecilia's room last night…'_

She sighed in relief,

"S-Sorry."

Cecilia went back to sleep, and so did Houki, or at least she tried with the pumping heart beat and the images from her dreams.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was now a fresh morning in the IS academy, and was definitely not the dream world of a certain girl.

As always, Houki diligently freshened early in the morning and locked the dorm room behind her.

Then suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder. She yelped, and with a shade of red, she turned around to confirm her fears.

"Mornin'!"

Kazuki just stood there casually giving her a nonchalant smile.

Houki lost all composure,

"UWAHHHHHHHHHH! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Before Kazuki could even react, a fist instead came to greet his morning in the face, which sent him flying into the wall behind him, leaving a human body shaped crater.

"Blehk!"

Houki took this chance to run for her life. Kazuki only reached his arms out shakily,

"W-Why…?"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Hey did you hear the rumor?"

"What, you mean how Satoshi-kun turned down the offer to become an IS representative?"

"No, that's not it! If you win this tournament this month, you'll get to date Orimura-kun or Satoshi-kun."

"Really?! Are you serious?"

"Wow! I can't believe it!"

Houki and Cecilia were just socializing but they noticed the excitement amongst the classmates.

"What are they so excited about?"

"Mmm… I'm not so sure about that either…"

The Honne's trio from yesterday stood there with a perplexed look on their faces.

"The story sure has gotten distorted and is spreading like wildfire…"

The two other girls looked at Honne worryingly,

"Did you say something random again?"

She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly,

"Uweh… I don't really think so…"

"Good morning."

Speak of the devil. Ichika came into the class with his usual laid back expression. Kazuki followed just behind him.

Kazuki yawned, rubbing the red fist mark on his cheek.

"What are you all excited about? Favorite boy band in the country or something?"

The whole class answered uneasily in unison,

"Nothing!"

Ichika only furrowed his brows ponderously at Kazuki,

"I wonder what's gotten into 'em."

"Who knows. Damn… What a rough start for a day."

Houki saw Kazuki come in, so she quickly diverted her eyes away with a blush.

 _'Uwah… what should I do... I punched him without thinking…'_

She grabbed her head in shame and embarrassment and dug herself into the desk surface.

Cecilia just looked at her strangely,

 _'She must be tired.'_

Kazuki shoved a finger into his ear dumbly,

"Man… It's such a nice day today… Too bad we're stuck in class listening to the boring stuff."

"Well, well, I'm sorry my class bores you Satoshi."

Ichika and Kazuki almost jumped out of their skins when they heard Chifuyu's voice, the words cutting through them like knives.

Ichika rushed ahead to his seat. Kazuki however, froze in his spot. He turned around fearfully with a shade of purple.

 _'Heeek! I didn't get her permission to leave the infirmary yet!'_

But Chifuyu only let out a sigh,

"-sigh- go sit down. I'm going to start homeroom."

With that, she walked past him without any sort of a punch, kick, or verbal abuse, much to Kazuki's surprise and delight. Yamada seemed like she wanted to say something, but decided not to and just followed Chifuyu's lead.

 _'Lucky!'_ he cheered inwardly.

Everyone was sat down in their seats and once again, the class was quiet.

Before anything else, Yamada began with an excited tone,

"Guess what, everyone! I'm going to introduce you all to the transfer student!"

As if on cue, the door to the classroom opened and a very pretty looking blonde boy came in. All the girls silently gawked; soft golden hair tied down into a pony tail, and eyes that sparkled like amethyst.

"I'm Charles Dunois and I came from France. Nice to meet you all." He finished with an innocent smile.

"A m-man?" one of the classmates trailed off incredulously.

"Yes, I heard about a male student who's in a similar situation, and I transferred here."

He briefly glanced at the front row and saw Ichika.

 _'So that's Orimura Ichika…'_

His eyes surveyed the whole room, but then a certain blonde caught his attention. For a second, Charles' eyes met his, which surprised him,

 _'Eh? Another boy? But nobody told me about him. He wasn't in the news either…'_

Then he remembered,

 _'Ah, he's from that super popular video."_

Then the whole class squealed loudly, which took the boy by complete surprise,

"Kyahhh! A male student! The third male student!"

"And he's in our class! Yes!"

"He's cute, and he's the type women want to protect!"

The heated crowd wasn't going to die down until Chifuyu controls it,

"Keep it down! Be quiet!"

She continued,

"Today, we're going to have joint practical training with class 2, so-"

Then there was a knock, much to Chifuyu's annoyance. She gave Yamada a nod, and so, the green-haired instructor opened the door.

There was a woman in a black skirt and suit shirt with a blazer. She raised her sunglasses and for some reason, she didn't seem amused.

Kazuki recognized her immediately,

 _'What? What is she doing here so early?!'_

"Umm, I'm sorry but we're in the middle of class…" Yamada said uneasily.

The woman took out a badge from her chest pocket,

"I'm an agent from the government; I'm here to pick up Satoshi Kazuki."

"U-Umm, you see, that's a bit… troublesome for us…" Yamada did her best to refuse, but she felt pressured under the government woman's authority.

Chifuyu turned to said woman,

"You're interrupting my class, I'm going to kindly ask you to leave."

She put her sunglasses away to reveal a pair of intimidatingly red eyes,

"Don't worry, this will only take a second if he comes along without any complaints."

"Satoshi's injured from his last class tournament, so if-"

"I'm very sorry, but this is officially a government affair, so please don't stick your head in where it doesn't belong."

All eyes in the whole class widened, including Yamada's; some of them covered their eyes in fear.

Poor Charles was still in the front, in between Chifuyu and the agent, taking the force in full effect. He honestly wanted to cry.

Kazuki's eyes were wider than anyone else's. He had to cover his mouth slightly from the sheer shock,

 _'Oh… she did not just say that to her face…'_

A vein bulged on Chifuyu's temple, her tone was concise and deadly,

"Okay… This is my final warning. You can help yourself and leave, or I'll do it for you, miss government agent."

But the agent remained calm and collected. Suddenly, she whipped out a stack of documents and rummaged through them,

"Right. A threat to government personnel will land you a maximum of a year in jail… Not to mention, Orimura Chifuyu has been working as an instructor in Germany without a visa. That would probably land you a permanent refusal of entry into the country."

Suddenly, Ichika stood up and yelled,

"Chifuyu-nee didn't do anything wrong, you stupid government bastard!"

Chifuyu growled at him furiously,

"Ichika, sit down!"

Ichika flinched slightly, but he refused to sit stubbornly.

The agent flipped through more documents and calmly recited,

"Swearing can also be considered a threat against government agents, and you'll be lucky to get away with 2 months in juvie."

Ichika suppressed a gasp,

"J-Juvie?"

Houki's hands were clenched into fists. She couldn't hold back her anger, and so, she stood up to give the agent a piece of her mind,

"Hey you-"

But then, Kazuki stood up and exclaimed comically,

"kay! Let's not make this into a battlefield, shall we?"

He threw a nonchalant smile,

"If you need something just ask nicely. It's common sense, right? Sheesh."

"Wait, Kazuki you can't-" Houki tried to protest, but he whispered so only she could hear.

"Sit down, Houki."

"But-"

"Houki!"

He didn't give her any chance to argue. With her arms crossed, Houki sat down reluctantly.

"You too Ichika. Listen to your teacher."

Ichika had realized his own mistake and quickly sat down in shame.

The agent smiled in satisfaction,

"Well, thank you very much for your time. Now Satoshi-san, if you'd like to follow me out…"

Just before they were about to leave, Chifuyu called out,

"Satoshi! You forgot your notes."

Satoshi turned around with a confused look, but then his face brightened in realization,

"Ah! Right! Silly me!"

He walked up to her and grabbed her hand earnestly,

"Thank you, Orimura-sensei."

Chifuyu was surprised at his boldness, but the look in his eyes also made her notice something. Kazuki then took the notes from her hands.

Before stepping out of the room, he gave Charles a quick peace sign,

"Ah, and I'm Kazuki. We'll be roommates, so I'll see you in our room later today. Nice meeting ya!"

Then they both left the scene.

The class roared in anger,

"What the hell was that?!"

"Who was that woman!? She gets on my nerves!"

"How dare she insult our Chifuyu-neesama! Unforgivable!"

Suddenly, Chifuyu slammed the surface of the table with her fist, which shushed the whole room.

"Orimura. Care to explain your actions earlier?"

Ichika gulped, but he stood his ground,

"B-But, she was going to arrest you!"

"And calling her stupid and a bastard would have prevented that?"

Ichika looked down. Chifuyu was right. He knew that he only made it worse for his sister by sticking his head into that situation.

She then turned to Houki,

"Shinonono, you too. If Kazuki wasn't there, you would've also made the same stupid mistake we both made. You should be thankful."

Houki nodded obediently. But it was true. If Kazuki hadn't interrupted her, she would have also been in trouble.

Chifuyu sighed and continued with the class,

"Anyway, as I was going to say, everyone get changed quickly and assemble at the second ground. And Orimura."

"Yes?"

"You will be looking after Dunois. You're both boys. Now, dismissed!"

With that, Chifuyu and Yamada left the scene.

Charles let out a sigh of relief,

 _'Uwahh… Is this what IS academy life is about? Scary…'_

He ignored the thought and approached Ichika,

"So, you're Orimura-kun? It's nice to-"

"Oh don't worry about that. Getting out of here is the priority right now." Ichika grabbed his hand and led him out the class.

"Eh?" he blushed lightly in surprise at the sudden contact.

"The girls change in the classroom, so we're going to change in the locker room. We have to go there to change every time we have practical training, so you'd better get used to this quickly."

Charles' blush was still there, and he was distracted by his hand grabbing Ichika's,

"M-Mmm…"

Ichika looked at him strangely,

"Why do you look so nervous? Need the bathroom?"

"N-No!"

However, Charles' blush disappeared when a mob of girls from second and third year surrounded them,

"Hey, I see the transfer student everyone's talking about! And he's with Orimura-kun!"

"There he is, move, move!"

Charles looked around in confusion,

"E-Eh? Ehh?"

Ichika too, was slightly daunted by the sheer number of students, but his grip on Charles tightened,

"Let's go!"

The two boys ran away around a corner that was empty.

"Ah, they're running away!"

"Let's follow them!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Chifuyu was luxuriously sipping on some high quality coffee in the teachers lounge with Yamada before the practical training.

"But that was some crazy ordeal, wasn't it, sensei?" Yamada smiled with a cup of coffee of our own.

The raven-haired woman only sighed exasperatedly,

"-sigh- I wish those brats could grow up already… Things almost became a big mess."

"Oh, so you were worried about your little brother going to juvie?"

Chifuyu coughed, taken completely by surprise,

"W-What are saying? I'm just glad things didn't become hairy…"

"Now, now, there you go again~" Yamada teased, seeing the light blush on her face.

Yamada's smile fell into a frown,

"But I wonder what the government wants with Satoshi-kun… What's more, he's injured…"

Chifuyu sighed slightly in concern as well, but she stared at the crumpled up piece of paper in her hands which read,

 **I've agreed to work with the government under the condition of me staying in the Academy. It's nothing dangerous or troublesome, so please don't worry about me.**

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki grimaced comically at the scene in front of him. He was in his unit, Lyka, surveying the ruins of what was a city of North Korea.

 _'this is so dangerous and troublesome...'_

He was deployed there for a reconnaissance mission to seek out the corruption of the communist nation.

He leaned behind a ruined apartment building and peeked around it and saw an enemy IS unit.

 _'So they have IS units of their own, huh?'_

 **Activating active-camouflage**

Kazuki's unit momentarily flashed, then soon enough, its colors blended with the surroundings and appeared invisible.

 _'I should avoid fire fights, since I'm only here for information…'_

With that, Lyka's shadow disappeared further into the North Korean territory.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Before he knew it, Kazuki was back at the IS academy by 6 in the evening. The corridor carpet felt so soft and pristine, he thought of just crashing onto the floor to sleep.

He was now in front of his room door labelled 1025. He stared at it for a long minute,

 _'You know, a lot of bad things happen when I open doors.'_

He placed a hand on his chin analytically,

 _'But then, again, Charles is a dude. Nothing can possibly go wrong, right...?'_

Kazuki nodded reassuringly,

 _'Mmm. It's not like he's secretly a girl or something, right? Hahaha, that would be silly.'_

Kazuki laughed and proceeded to open the door.

When he opened it, he saw a naked girl standing in the middle of the room with only a towel over her head.

She turned to him with the most scared look on her face; her purple pupils were screaming in fear and Kazuki clearly saw that.

There was an awkward silence for about 10 seconds before Kazuki lightly hit himself in the head,

"Ah… hahahaha, silly me! Must have gotten the wrong room. Sorry about that!"

He gently shut the door to be faced with the number plate outside the door.

"1025… huh… 10…25…"

 _'Heh. That's funny, this number looks exactly like my room number…'_

Inside the room, Charles just stood there, stunned. But in the next moment, Kazuki burst opened the door with the most ridiculous expression on his face,

"teh, this is my room!"

A loud screech and the sound of a loud slap ensued.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Charles rolled her long excess hair with her fingers awkwardly,

"Umm… Sorry about your… face…"

Kazuki just sat there on his bed with a deadpanned expression, rubbing the red hand mark on his cheek.

He let out a sigh, unable to deal with the awkward atmosphere,

"Never mind that… Let's have some tea."

Charles shrugged with an awkward blush,

"M-Mmm, sure…"

Kazuki poured some green tea into two cups and approached the blonde girl to hand one of them over.

"Here."

"T-Thanks…"

When she reached for her cup, her hand made contact with Kazuki's hand, which made her jump slightly.

"Eeek!" she blushed again and pulled her hand back very quickly.

"O-Oi!"

Kazuki tried to catch the cup, but unluckily for him, the hand that was holding her cup happened to be his "real" hand. The hot tea splashed all over his hand with a sizzle.

"Uwah! Hot! Hot, hot, hot, hot!"

Kazuki scrambled towards the sink and ran cold tap over his hand.

Charles' eyes widened and covered her mouth to hide the shock,

"Sorry!"

She chased after him in concern.

Kazuki turned his head away and water falls of tears fell from his eyes,

 _'Why couldn't it have been my other hand…'_

Charles walked right next to his side and tried to examine his hand,

"Are you okay? Let me see it!"

"Oh no, it's all red. I'm so sorry!" She apologized guiltily.

Kazuki sighed in defeat,

"-sigh- it's not a big deal, but more importantly… They're touching."

"Huh?"

Charles looked down and saw that her chest was literally resting on top of his arm.

With a quick yelp, she turned away and covered herself with her tracksuit shirt. She turned back around with a pout,

"Kazuki, you letch!"

"Why does it turn out like that!" he retorted comically.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

This time, the two sat face-to-face on their own beds, and were having a serious conversation.

"So, do you want to tell me why you pretended to be a dude?"

But something flashed into his mind,

"No wait!"

Charles looked at him curiously, wondering what he was going to say.

"… do you perhaps swing that way?"

"What?! No!" she pouted angrily.

"Hahaha, I'm just kidding! -cough- sorry."

Charles then frowned as she continued seriously,

"My family told me to do it."

Kazuki hummed,

"By your family, you mean the Dunois corporation's…?"

She nodded and closed her eyes gravely,

"That's right, my dad is the CEO of the company. This is his direct orders."

"To tell you the truth, Kazuki, I'm not the child of his wife… I was separated from him for a long time, but he took me in two years ago, when my mother passed away."

Kazuki sensed sadness when she talked about her mother, but regardless, he continued to listen silently.

"The people from the Dunois corporation came to pick me up. Then after various tests, they found out that I was highly compatible with the IS. It was unofficial, but they made me an IS test pilot. And I've only seen my father twice before, we've talked for no more than an hour…"

From this point, Kazuki saw the guilty look on her face.

"After that, the Dunois corporation ran into financial difficulties. It was bound to happen… The Revive is a second-generation type, but everyone in the world is scrambling to develop the third-generation type. The reason Cecilia-san transferred to this school is because they need to collect data for that development, I think."

She sighed,

"The company has started developing a third generation type, but progress hasn't been so great. At this rate, their development permit will be revoked. So by having me pretend to be a boy, they thought I'd have a better chance of stealing Ichika's data by getting close to him."

Charles finally leaned back and let out a sigh of comfort,

"Now that I've told you the truth, it feels like the burden on my shoulders has been lifted! Thanks for listening. And I should really be apologizing to Ichika for lying to him…"

Kazuki finally spoke for the first time, this time, there were no sign of him attempting to make a joke. He seemed dead serious.  
"So, what do you want to do?"

She looked at him strangely,

"What do I want to do…?"

He nodded.

Charles smiled wistfully,

"I don't know… now that I'm found out, I'll be called back to my country… I guess they'll send me to jail, if I'm lucky…"

But she saw Kazuki shake his head,

"No. I'm not asking what the Dunois Corporation wants to do, I'm asking Charles what she wants to do."

Charles eyes widened. She didn't expect him to come out like that, and it really did take her by surprise.

"I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone else before."

Charles saw that Kazuki was being very serious and so, she leaned in slightly.

"I'm kind of amnesic and I don't remember anything about my parents. I don't even know if I had any siblings. But what I do know is this…"

He stood up,

"Even if they gave birth to you, that doesn't mean the parents have the right to use their children like this."

Charles only looked down hopelessly,

"But I can't do anything about it… I'm too powerless to do anything…"

"But we can do something about it."

Kazuki then recited,

"IS acadamy special instructions: The students of IS academy cannot belong to any nation, organization or group while in school. Now that you're an IS academy student, you're no longer powerless. You have me, Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, Rin and all the other students who'll be there to support you."

At that point, Charles understood. Her eyes widened, gleaming with new-found hope.

Kazuki grabbed her shoulders firmly in assurance,

"So stay here. We can protect you."

He let her go and smiled,

"In the meanwhile, we can come up with the solution on how to deal with it before you graduate, which is not until 2 and a half years from now."

To his relief, Charles giggled,

"I'm impressed that you even remembered that. Not to mention, for a lazy person like you."

Kazuki slightly lost balance in his spot,

"L-Lazy?"

"Ichika told me a lot of things about you. But it looks like he was right!"

Kazuki looked away and grimaced,

 _'Ichika, teme. You bad-mouthed me while I was gone… and to a transfer student at that.'_

"Kazuki." Charles stood up from her bed.

Kazuki noticed the warm and sincere smile on the blonde girl's features,

"Thank you for covering for me."

He closed his eyes and smiled in satisfaction,

"Mmm… What are friends for…"

His eyes then trailed down slightly,

"Umm… Nice che- necklace you've got there by the way."

Naturally, Charles looked down to see what he was looking at,

"Oh, yeah, thanks, that's my personal IS-"

Then she noticed how much cleavage she was showing, and so, she quickly pulled her shirt in to cover it.

"Does it bother you that much?" she asked shyly.

"Yeah, it does."

Then a blush adorned her face,

"D-Do you want to see them by any chance?"

…

…

…

Kazuki's expression brightened,

"Can I?!"

 **Slap**

…

…

…

"Kazuki, you letch."

"...I deserved that…"

Then there was a gentle knock on the door,

"Kazuki-san~ are you in there?"

"It's Cecilia, hide!" Kazuki whispered and pushed Charles into her bed.

"E-Eh? Ehh? What?!"

"You don't want them to find out that you're a girl right?!" He insisted.

 _'I'm worried more about myself being found out…'_

But he kept his words to himself.

"That's true…"

"Hurry!"

Cecilia's voice only made them move faster,

"I noticed that you haven't had dinner yet."

Charles quickly jumped into her bed and covered herself with the blanket.

Cecilia's voice now showed a hint of concern,

"Are you feeling ill or something? Kazuki-san I'm coming in."

The light from the corridor intruded into the dimly lit room.

"What are you doing?" Cecilia said as she watched Kazuki put Charles to bed awkwardly.

"U-Uh, it's Charles, you see. He's got a bit of a cold so I put a blanket on him. Ahahahaha…"

Kazuki stealthily squeezed Charles' arm, and magically, she coughed.

Luckily for them, Cecilia believed their farce,

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that… Is it okay if I burrow Kazuki?"

"-cough- -cough- go ahead."

Cecilia's expression brightened,

"I happen to have had no dinner yet."

But then she noticed something on Kazuki's face,

"Um, Kazuki-san, what's that red mark on your face?"

Charles slightly flinched in her bed with a sweat drop.

Kazuki deadpanned,

"I tripped."

Cecilia asked with a small doubt,

"But that doesn't look-"

"ANYWAY, you were saying?" Kazuki professionally dodged a bullet and changed subject.

Cecilia noticed she was digressing. So she cleared her throat and blushed shyly,

"Right, would you like to eat with me?"

Kazuki mentally wiped sweat off his brows,

"S-Sure."

Charles coughed,

"Enjoy."

Cecilia broke into a smile and clung on to Kazuki's arm,

"Let's go then!"

Kazuki was literally dragged out of his room, but since Cecilia seemed happy enough, he didn't give too much thought into it.

But while on their way to the cafeteria, they ran into Houki who was carrying a katana in its case.

"Oh Kazuki, you're back- wait, what are you doing?!" When she saw Cecilia's arms wrapped around Kazuki's, she didn't seem very impressed.

"Oh I was-"

"We are about to go have dinner, together." Cecilia answered for him while stressing the word "together".

Houki pointed a shaky finger at them accusingly,  
"But why do you have to have your arm through his arm and get so close to him for that?"

Kazuki also wondered the same thing,

"Yeah, why? This is just uncomfortable and it's just hard to walk."

 **Pinch**

"Ow! What was that for?" Kazuki felt a sharp pinch at his back.

"A gentleman is expected to escort a lady. Isn't that common sense?"

 _'Feels like I'm the one being escorted…'_

Houki smirked,

"Then I'm coming too. I felt that today's dinner was a little lacking."

"Oh my, Houki-san, you know excessive eating will cause you to gain weight." Cecilia taunted.

"Hmph! No need for your concerns. I will practice Iai with this and burn some calories later." She unwrapped the string tying the katana bag shut and took out a shin-ken with her eyes sparkling in eager.

Without any further delay, Houki went ahead and locked one of her arms with Kazuki's rather shyly,

"A-Anyway, shall we go then?"

Cecilia gritted her teeth,

"Houki-san, what do you think you're doing!?"

"You said a man is expected to escort a lady, right?"

Kazuki sweat dropped uncomfortably,

"Who cares about that anyway. I'm hungry so let's all just walk normally and get there faster."

 **Pinch Pinch**

"Owww!"

"Don't you have anything else to say in this situation?"

"One who doesn't realize their own happiness is worse than a dog." Cecilia remarked.

Kazuki deadpanned,

"Happiness, huh? Sorry, but I'm no masochist."

 **Pinch Pinch**

"Stop it!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Bored Charles was loitering around in her bed, waiting for Kazuki. Then to her delight, she heard the door open.

"-pant- I'm -pant- back…"

But she saw the ghastly expression on his face,

"Welcome back…? What's the matter?"

"I've just been sailing in the middle of a storm with sharks swimming around…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Fishing metaphor. Here, I brought you some food."

Charles jumped out of bed with an excited smile,

"Thanks I'll have some. I was really hungry… Eh?"

She seemed intimidated by the traditional Washoku; a bowl of miso soup, grilled fish and some side dishes.

"What's wrong?"

"Well…"

She tried to split the disposable wooden chopstick, but one side ended up being shorter than the other. Then she stabbed the bowl of rice with it and attempted to pick up a clump, only for the rice to fall back into the bowl.

"Pfft!" Kazuki couldn't hold back his laughter.

Charles complained with a red face,

"Ah! You laughed at me!"

"-snort- sorry. But I've never seen anyone pick up rice like that."

Embarrassed, Charles tried to hit him with her chopsticks,

"Kazuki, you meanie, stupid, letch!"

"Ahh! It's still got rice on it, you stupid!"

Charles pouted angrily,

"Well, there's no helping it! I've only just started practicing…"

Kazuki squeezed out his last laughter,

"Okay, okay, sorry! You don't have to be that angry!"

Then an idea came to her, but she was slightly nervous to ask,

"T-Then, if you feel sorry, f-feed me."

Kazuki's laughter stopped immediately,

"Woah, wait a second, that's a bit…"

Charles' pout grew larger this time.

Kazuki face-palmed,

"-sigh- okay, I'll do it! So stop pouting, you puffer fish."

"hehehe."

Kazuki ripped off a bit of meat off the fish and held it out in front of her,

"Here, 'ah'."

His tone was rough and a little forceful but regardless, she opened her mouth and accepted it with a happy blush.

Kazuki picked up a bit of rice beforehand,

"Good?"

She nodded in bliss,

"It's good!"

"Good. You better get used to it because we don't get luxurious French cuisine here. Now open up, it's gonna fall."

"Ahng~"

"And by the way, I'm never doing this again, so get practicing."

"Stingy!"

"What d'you call me?!"

"Nothing~ Teehee"


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry the updates are not as fast as it was the past few chapters. My break just ended and the Uni term started, so I may not update as frequently. So I beg for your understanding.**

 **Aside from that, thank you for the reviews; keep 'em coming! Thanks for pointing out the typo; they really do help. As for the question surrounding pairings, I don't intend on making this a series with a set pairing; I find that to be very unexciting. Plus, pairing means I have to go off canon a bit (keep in mind, Infinite Stratos is a harem anime), which is a pain to write. Yeah, I'm lazy.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 9**

Class 1 was, as always, rowdy with whispers and murmurs of the students, but today, another small surprise was in store for them.

"U-Umm… I have another exciting announcement to make today… we have another friend joining our class."

Yamada gestured towards the short girl beside her,

"Meet the transfer student from Germany, Laura Bodewig."

The class whispered in confusion,

"What's going on?"

"Two transfer students in two days?"

"No matter how you look at it, it's very strange."

"P-Please be quiet, everyone! Her introduction isn't over yet" Yamada shushed the class, but she was thinking just about the same thing.

Chifuyu crossed her arms,

"Introduce yourself, Laura."

"Yes, Intructor." The girl obeyed, almost like a soldier.

Ichika looked at the platinum haired girl suspiciously,

 _'Instructor? So, that means when Chifuyu-nee was in Germany, that girl was…'_

Laura continued with her introduction,

"I'm Laura Bodewig."

Yamda sweat dropped,

"U-Um… Is that all…?"

"That's all."

Instead of sleeping with his head down on his desk, like he usually does, Kazuki gawked at the new transfer student.

 _'That girl… I swear I've seen her somewhere. That platinum hair, red-brownish eyes, and under that eye patch…'_

Kazuki brought his hands up to his eyes casually and quickly activated his thermal vision. His eyes momentarily flashed, and his sclera turned black, and his pupils became gold yellow with a dark center.

 _'… she has the same golden eye like mine- no; actually, it's incomplete. The color of her sclera isn't black…'_

From the corner of her eyes, Laura noticed a flash, she turned to the source to see a blonde glaring at her with eyes that looked like a demon's. She suddenly reeled back in fear, but when she blinked, his eyes were back to normal.

 _'I-Is it just my imagination…?'_

"What's wrong, Laura? Go sit down." Chifuyu cocked a brow curiously, momentarily noticing the fearful look on her face.

Laura quickly shook it off uneasily,

"N-No, it's nothing…"

However, before heading towards her seat, she noticed Ichika sitting in the front, and glared at him in contempt,

"So, it's you…"

 **Slap**

Laura delivered a solid back hand to Ichika's cheek much to his and the class' shock.

She only continued distastefully,

"I don't approve it… I will never accept that you're her brother!"

 **=Perspective Change=**

When I saw that Bodewig girl slap Ichika back to the 18th century, I almost blew out laughing. So I had to literally dig my head down onto my desk to hide my contorted face.

But my expression solidified,

 _'But that fiery personally… Yeah, now I remember…'_

 **-Flashback-**

 _"So, your name was… sorry what was it again?"_

 _"I've repeated many times already, Chloe Chronicle, you dimwit."_

 _"Right! So I hear Tabaco is your savior, huh? I'm glad-"_

 ** _Slap_**

 _For some reason, the platinum haired girl decided to give me a nice back hand to the face, much to my surprise._

 _"Don't you dare call Tabane-sama by such a crude name."_

 _I just looked at her with a flabberghasted expression and shook my head incredulously._

 _Then something jumped at me and an annoyingly high-pitch voice spoke direcly into my ears,_

 _"Nyahaha! I caught myself a Peeping Tom!"_

 _Suddenly, the platinum haired girl's face brightened,_

 _"Tabane-sama!"_

 _A vein bulged on my temple,_

 _"I thought I told you not to call me that name."_

 _I tried to pull her arms off of me, but she refused to let go,_

 _"Anyway -grunt- you done with what ever -grunt- you were doing?"_

 _Damn, the strength of this girl was unreal. So I sighed in defeat and gave up._

 _To my annoyance, I heard her giggle,_

 _"Teh-het! The active camouflage should be running fine now! So now Tom can become invisible and peep stealthily!"_

 _"I swear, when I get stronger, I'm going to send you flying."_

 _Then, something hard fell onto my foot and I heard a very unsettling snap. Yes, Chronicle just stomped on my foot,_

 _"OWWW! Teme! With the heels too! Kuuuhh!"_

 _I got down immediately and massaged my foot in pain._

 _"And I thought I told you not to talk to Tabane-sama disrespectfully." Her expression darkened. She opened her eyes in an attempt to intimidate me. Its sclera was black, and the iris was golden yellow with a dark center like mine._

 _"You think I'm scared of your eyes? I have the same thing." I also revealed the very same composition of eye colors after activating it._

 _Chronicle tried to stomp on my other foot, but I moved it away just in time to avoid it. She pouted disappointedly but I smirked victoriously._

 _"My odin's eyes are nothing like yours, you primitive beast!"_

 _"Heh, so that's what it's called? Odin's eyes."_

 _Tabaco then clapped to stop us from ripping each other's heads off._

 _"Now, now! Why can't you two get along with each other?"_

 _Chronicles shrugged and shook her head,_

 _"It boggles me the same way, Tabane-sama, even though we share a similar past-"_

 _But I interrupted and glared down coldly at Chronicle in disdain,_

 _"Don't make me laugh. You don't know anything about me. You and I are not the same."_

 _That seemed to have shushed the short girl as she couldn't say anything to that._

 **-End of Flashback-**

Kazuki rested his chin on his hand and wondered,

 _'If she has Odin's eyes too, then she must also be…'_

But his thoughts were interrupted when the bell rung, signalling the beginning of the school day.

"Right, today is going to be self study and all your practical training will be done individually. Dismissed!" Chifuyu finished, leaving the scene with her assistant.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"So you do it like 'whoosh', then 'clang', then 'bang!'"

"You kind of understand what she's getting at, right? It's all about the gut feeling. What? Why don't you understand, you stupid?!"

"On defense, you tilt the right side of your body at a 5 degree angle forward. When you maneuver around, tilt your body backward at a 20 degree angle angle."

Ichika's voice shook in frustration,

"Let me be straight with you… I don't get it at all!"

"Why don't you understand?!" Houki groaned incomprehensibly.

"Pay attention like you're supposed to!" Rin critized.

Cecilia crossed her arms,

"I'll explain it to you one more time! Basically, tilt your body at a 5 degree angle forward and…"

Ichika only sighed in defeat. He looked over at Kazuki who was just sitting on a make shift chair away from the group, only watching.

"They really shouldn't become teachers in the future…" Kazuki remarked, leaning back on his chair with a sweat drop.

"Ichika!"

Ichika turned to see Charles, all prepped with her personal IS up and running.

"Will you have a quick match with me? I want to fight your Byakushiki."

"Charles! No problem!"

He turned to the other three girls,

"So, I'll see you guys later."

With that, Charles and Ichika flew up higher, leaving the three girls with an unsatisfied frown.

 **After the fight…**

After Ichika's quick loss against Charles' Revive, she began helpfully detailing out some of his weaknesses,

"Basically, the reason you can't win is that you have little grasp of the shooting weapons' characteristics.

Ichika crossed his arms in disappointment,

"Mmm… I thought I understood them though…

"This Byakushiki doesn't have an equalizer, right?"

"No; they said there's no vacant bus slot."

"I'm only speculating this, but that's probably because it's using the space, but that's probably because it's using the space for the one-off ability."

Ichika tilted his head curiously,

"One-off?"

"It's the ability that naturally emerges when the IS and its pilot are in their best condition together."

"I see…"

Ichika smiled, rather satisfied with Charles' detailed explanation,

"You explain things very simply, don't you?"

The three girls barged into the conversation and complained,

"You don't even listen to my advice!"

"After I very kindly tried to teach you…"

"What was wrong with my very articulate explanation?"

Kazuki quickly pushed the three unsatisfied girls out of the way,

"Anyway! Ichika, why don't you try learning how to use a rifle? Charles, can I leave that to you?"

She nodded then turned to Ichika after materializing her scoped rifle,

"Sure, okay let's practice using a fire arm…"

As if on cue, target holograms appeared at the empty field space in front of them.

Ichika looked at Charles rifle doubtfully,

"I thought I couldn't use someone else's equipment."

"Normally, no. But if the user unlocks it, anyone can use it as long as they're a registered user."

Ichika nodded understandingly and took his stance.

"No, no. You hold it more like…"

Charles hugged Ichika's back and readjusted Ichika's stance with her hands.

"Hey, don't you think those two are getting along too well…?" Rin pointed out strangely.

Kazuki cocked a brow and suggested mischeviously,

"Oh? Is this jealousy I see~?"

A vein bulged on Rin's forehead,

"Hah?!"

Kazuki's grin widened,

"Don't try to hide it. Houki told me. You're Ichika's second childhood friend~"

He crossed his arms with a decisive smirk,

"But that's a problem… Because Houki's now going to have a love riv-"

 **Punch Punch**

Kazuki was there on the floor, left with two steaming lumps on his head, half dead.

Houki put her hands on her hips and laughed with an angry tick mark,

"Hahaha! Silly Kazuki! I wonder what he's talking about!"

"Hahahaha! Who knows! Kazuki's always been an idiot, so let's ignore him! Ah… ahahaha!" Rin only did the identical.

Cecilia deadpanned,

"You all do know that Charles is a boy, don't you…?"

"Ah…"

Rin and Houki stopped laughing and sweat-dropped.

Kazuki came to and remarked bitterly,

"Who's the idiot now…?"

 **Punch Punch**

Ichika gasped in excitement,

"Ohh, look! I got 43 points!"

Charles smiled cheerfully,

"So, what do you think?"

"Yeah, it was like… I don't know, but it felt fast!"

From the corner of her eyes, she noticed a black IS unit standing atop the barracks.

The other classmates seemed to have noticed it too and started murmuring in awe,

"Hey, look at that!"

"No way! Isn't that Germany's third-generation?"

"Ehh? I heard that it's still in its trial period in this country."

The group seemed to feel unwelcoming; Cecilia crossed her arms and frowned,

"Laura Bodewig…"

Rin's face also fell into a frown when she heard the name,

"What, so it's her? The representative candidate of Germany who slapped Ichika?"

Laura glared down at the person in question,

"Orimura Ichika… So you also have a personal unit… That makes things easier. Fight me."

Ichika looked away uniterestedly,

"No. I have no reason to."

"You might not have one, but I do."

Ichika frowned under Laura's fierce glare and killing intent,

"It doesn't have to be now, does it? The class league match is coming up soon, so we can fight then."

"Well then…"

She then charged up her railgun and fired at Ichika without a warning.

Charles quickly stood in front of Ichika and deflected the shot away with her materialized shield.

"Charles!"

Charles only glared up at Laura,

"To challenge someone just like that out of the blue… People in Germany must have a very low boiling point!"

She materialzed a long rifle and a submachine gun in her hands and got into her battle stance.

Laura smirked,

"A mere French second-generation type dare to oppose me?"

"But I'm sure it works much better than your German third-generation type, which has no prospect for mass-production yet!" Charles countered, her fingers dancing around the trigger.

Laura's expression darkened,

"Then, allow me to show you what my Schwarzer Regen is capabale of! Prepare yourself!"

Several small wire-guided dagger launched from Laura's unit like tentacles and raged towards Charles.

Charles opted to block, but her vision was obstructed by another IS unit infront of her.

It was Lyka, and he caught all the wires into a single hand and pulled back slightly, putting Laura off balance.

"Y-You are!" Laura gritted her teeth. Even with the face covered, she knew exactly who it was.

Kazuki began nonchalantly,

"I understand that you're eager to try out your new toy, but let's not get carried away, shall we?" he finished in a slightly dark tone.

Once again, Laura saw his eyes flash with black and yellow, only for a split second however.

"Y-You fiend! How do you have Odin's eyes?!" She screamed, the fear clearly embedded into her voice.

"Odin's eyes…?" Charles repeated obliviously. She looked over at the others, but they all had the same expressions on their faces.

However Kazuki didn't give anything away and remained silent.

 **"You students over there! What do you think you're doing?"** A loud voice boomed in the arena.

Laura clicked her tongue,

"Tch, I'll let you go for today."

She deactivated her unit, making the wires disappear from Kazuki's hand, opting him to deactivate his unit too.

"Wow… Ichika, you really are a chick magnet. In a lot of different ways…" Kazuki said as he wiped a bit of sweat off his face.

"What was that about, Ichika?" Houki demanded, unable to overcome her curiousity.

"Did something happen between you two before?!" Rin added.

Ichika only stared at the spot where Laura was with a grave look.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

With training finished for the day, Kazuki, Charles and Ichika returned to the locker room.

Charles saw Ichika in a deep thought and asked in concern,

"Ichika are you okay?"

Ichika noticed the boy's worry for him, and nodded,

"Yeah, you saved me earlier, thanks, Charles. You too Kazuki."

Kazuki hung his blazer over his shoulder with a grin,

"Heh, it was no trouble at all."

Charles pulled her own blazer on with her training suit still on,

"Well, I'm going back to the room now. Kazuki, are you going to take a shower first?"

"No, you go on ahead, I'm going to take one here later."

Ichika then looked at Charles strangely,

"Charles, you're not taking a shower here? You never do."

Charles sweat dropped nervously,

"E-Eh?"

Ichika then approached her with a mock frown,

"Why does it bother you so much to get changed around me?"

"I-It doesn't!"

"I know it does! C'mon, let's get changed together for a change!"

Charles quickly glanced at Kazuki as if requesting for help. He then sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Orimura-sensei was looking for you, Charles." Kazuki lied.

"Eh? Really? Oh man. Forget changing then. Charles, you better go now. She's quite strict with time, you see…" Ichika urged.

Charles nodded furiously,

"Y-Yeah, I really should! Thanks for reminding me, Kazuki."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

The day was approaching the end, and was dusk. The campus was empty, and Ichika was walking silently by himself to his accommodation.

 **"I don't approve it… I will never accept that you're her brother!"**

He contemplated on these words said by the new transfer student and continued on his way until…

"Please answer me, instructor! Why are you at a place like this?"

"Don't make me repeat myself over and over. I have my own role. That's all."

Ichika heard voices from the otherside, so hid behind a tree and peeked over to see Chifuyu and Laura talking. He decided to eavesdrop silently.

Laura seemed very frustrated and had trouble understanding,

"What role do you have at a place like this in the Far East?! Please, Instructor! Teach us in Germany once again! You can't exert even half of your ability here!"

"Oh?" Chifuyu slightly raised her brow amusedly.

"First of all, the students in this academy don't even deserve to be taught by you! They lack a sense of the danger and mistake the IS for some kind of fashion or something! It's unbelievable that you give the time of day to people like that!"

"That's enough, little girl."

Laura stopped immediately when she felt a cerain coldness in Chifuyu's tone.

"Looks like you've grown arrogant since I last saw you. I'm in awe that you're already acting like a chosen one when you're only 15."

"I-I was just…"

"Go back to your dorm. I'm busy."

Laura saw the stern look on Chifuyu's face and could only look down silently in frustration. She then turned and ran off, leaving Chifuyu staring out into the lake horizon as the orange color of the setting sun painted the area.

For a second, Ichika was still in his spot, daring not to make a sound, but…

"Male student over there, eavesdropping? Aberrant sexual propensity is distasteful."

Ichika jumped out and retorted,

"Why does it turn out like that, Chifuyu-nee!"

Chifuyu's voice was strict,

"Call me Orimura-sensei at school."

"H-Hai…"

Chifuyu turned to him and gave him an obvious look,

"If you've got time to do stupid stuff like this, you should be out training. At this rate, you'll be defeated in the first round of the tournament."

"I know…" Ichika nodded tiringly.

But he changed subject,

"Hey, about what Laura said about me earlier today about how she doesn't accept that I'm your little brother. She was talking about how you missed the opportunity to win the second championship because of me, wasn't she?" Ichika looked away and slightly cringed guiltily.

Chifuyu must have seen that and answered indifferently,

"That's all in the past. There's no need for you to worry about that."

"But-"

"Hurry up and go back to your accommodation. It's already past dinner."

 **=Perspective Change=**

Without being able to say another thing, I obeyed and continued on my way back, I couldn't hold back from making a guilty frown.

That's right; the 2nd Mondo Grosso, the world championship of the IS… On the day of the final match, someone kidnapped me. I still don't know why they kidnapped me. I was detained and imprisoned. But Chifuyu-nee abandoned the final match in order to come to my rescue. Of course, she lost the finals match by default. Everyone had no doubt of her back-to-back victory, so it caused controversy when she abstained from the match. And in order to repay the German Army, who provided the information on the location where I was being held during the incident, she worked as an instructor for Germany's IS unit for about a year; of course, this was a deal that was negotiated under the table, so that the Japanese government wouldn't notice.

It's simple really. It was my fault for being good-for-nothing. What a pathetic brother I am… I can't continue to have Chifuyu-nee, or Kazuki for that matter, watch out for me all the time…

With these thoughts swimming in my head, I headed back to my room.

 **=Perspective Change=**

Chifuyu was still stood there on the grassland by the lake. Her eyes shifted into a glare when she heard an all-too-familiar voice coming from behind her,

"Eyaah~ You're quite strict even to your little brother, huh, Orimura-sensei?"

Chifuyu sighed in annoyance,

"-sigh- it's you…"

Kazuki ignored her frustration and chuckled to himself,

"But 'aberrant sexual propensity'? That was pretty funny."

Chifuyu deadpanned,

"Oh, looks like you misunderstood me, Satoshi. I was talking to you when I said that."

Kazuki's chuckling stopped immediately and sweat dropped,

"Seriously?"

Much to his chagrin, she nodded.

"Why does every single person in this world think I'm a pervert?"

Chifuyu only face palmed in mental fatigue. She felt her life chip away every second Kazuki talked. To her, he was sounding very much like Tabane.

"Looks like you've got nothing better to do than stick your nose into other people's business."

Kazuki smiled,

"I'm only here to sniff. I don't really intend to do anything."

"Hurry and go back to the accommodation. I really don't have the energy to put up with your nonsense today."

Kazuki shrugged his shoulders,

"Oh well. Then I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

However, he stopped after taking three steps,

"Oh, and actually, can I say just one thing before I leave?"

Chifuyu's eyes opened and her ears perked up,

"What is it?"

"I know I'm being needlessly nosy, but even though you did lose that championship, I think it was very valiant of you to rescue Ichika yourself. So allow me to say, thank you." Kazuki smiled. But little did Chifuyu know, it was a melancholic one.

Chifuyu only looked at him strangely,

"Why are you thanking me? It's kind of creepy in a way."

Kazuki forced a laugh,

"Even so… If you didn't rescue him, who knows what'll have happened to him…"

He unconsciously grabbed his right arm and his grip tightened painfully.

 _'Don't bring that up now… It's all in the past… Isn't it…?'_

Kazuki's expression and words only confused Chifuyu more,

"I… see… Then, I'll be on my way. Don't be late for class tomorrow." She sent a death glare, to which Kazuki waved her off with a smug.

With that, Chifuyu left the scene. Kazuki's gaze fell onto the lake. A beautiful gradient of orange, purple and blue was painted onto the calm surface of the water, and it was a relaxing scene for the blonde youth.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

The night had passed, and the sun rose again to begin the day. Today, class one was again, rowdy with the most current rumors. But it was the same rumor from the other day going around for those who didn't catch wind of it.

"No way! Are you serious?!"

"I-Is that really true?" Cecilia shyly inquired, pushing her excitement aside.

Rin, for some reason in class 1, only crossed her arms doubtfully, that being said, she was hoping it was true,

"You better not be lying!"

Aikawa Kiyoka only affirmed stubbornly,

"I'm telling the truth! The entire school is talking about this! If you win first place in the tournament this month, you'll get to date any of the boys you want!"

On the other side of the room, Houki just sat in her seat silently with an embarrassed blush.

"Are the boys aware of this too?" Cecilia asked slightly in concern.

But another girl in the circle whispered reassuringly,

"Well, actually, it sounds like they don't know much about it."

Rin tilted her head in confusion,

"What? What's going on?"

"Supposedly, it's a decision that was made among the girls."

Suddenly, Ichika's voice made the group flinch,

"Good morning."

They all jumped when Charles leaned in with a bright smile,

"What are you guys talking about?"

The rest of the girls ran away screaming, but Cecilia and Rin remained, pretending like nothing was wrong.

"Well, I-I'm going back to my class…" Rin scratched her head innocently and walked off.

Cecilia, too, feigned ignorance,

"R-Right, I should get to my seat too…"

Charles only hummed obliviously and turned to Ichika for answers.

"What was that about?" was his only answer.

Then, the whole class heard the sound of running in the hallway, and then Kazuki popped into the room panting.

"Phew… I'm safe…"

Then he noticed the stares of the whole class and inquired curiously,

"W-Why is everyone staring at me?"

Like a computer command, as soon his words left his mouth, they all looked elsewhere, some one them going as far as whistling away innocently.

 _'What did I do this time…?'_ was his only though in that moment, but he shook it off and went to his seat.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"Why?" I said to myself to the skies, grabbing on to the railings on the edge of the school roof.

Regretfully, I remembered what I said to Kazuki the other day,

 **"If I win the tournament… I-I'll have you go out with me!"**

"How does this..."

Then I recalled to the rumor this morning,

 **"If you win first place in the tournament this month, you'll get to date any of the boys you want!"**

"…turn into this…"

I sighed in mental stress. For a second, I let the words sink into my head.

"Go on a date with any of the boys, huh…?"

Does that mean if I win, will I be going out with Kazuki?

I violently shook my head in denial,

"No, no, no, no! Just to buy my supreme earl grey! Nothing more!"

But, if it was just for shopping, why wasn't I going out with Ichika? That's what I wanted to do all this time, right?

I briefly massaged my temples tiredly and dug my fingers through my front hair.

No. That changed. Ever since Kazuki enrolled… Ever since he came, my feelings towards Ichika began changing…

At this point, I didn't know what to think. I was conflicted.

 _'I'm supposed to hate Kazuki. That jerk made my life more chaotic and troublesome. All he's been doing is confuse me and lead me astray… But… even so…'_

I couldn't come to hate him.

I pushed the thoughts out of the way because it was too mentally taxing.

"Besides… It's not going to be a problem as long as I win the tournament… as long as win… It's going to be different from last time… It'll be fine…"

After being forcefully separated from Ichika due to my sister's announcement of the IS, I was interviewed countless number of times, and was placed under strict surveillance, and I was very much affected by that physically and mentally.

Despite all this, however, I continued my kendo training. Because it felt like that was the only connection that I had with Ichika. But on the day of the national kendo championship last year, I was such an ugly person. Swordsmanship is the mirror that reflects your inner self. I was practicing kendo only to beat up my opponents so I could vent myself…

That was nothing but violence. That couldn't be called strength. That was not the definition of strength. But I wonder… If I'll be able to win without misunderstanding the true meaning of it? No. I have to win. Win against myself of all things!

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Meanwhile, Rin was on the arena field, seemingly preparing to practice, but a chirpy voice resounded from behind her,

"Arah? Isn't this Rin-san?"

Rin looked at Cecilia in slight surprise,

"You're early?"

"I thought I was the first one." Cecilia said in her own way of being surprised.

"I was going to train to win the tournament."

"That's exactly what I was going to do too."

Both girls faced each other in a glaring contest and they remained mute.

Rin sweat dropped nervously,

 _'This girl; she's always with Kazuki isn't she?! Does she intend to win this tournament to ask him out?! Like I'll let that happen!'_

Cecilia nervously glared back at the shorter girl with the same amount of pressure,

 _'I see! She's planning to win this tournament to monopolize Kazuki-san all to herself, isn't she?! Hmph! I knew from the day she started calling him by his first name!'_

Lightening could be seen discharging from the clash of their killing intent.

Rin finally broke the glare contest with a huff,

"Maybe it's not a bad idea to clarify who's better than who, right here, right now!"

Cecilia beamed brightly,

"Fine with me. Let us duke it out and find out who's stronger and more elegant!"

"Although, it's quite obvious I'm better than you on all accounts."

"Isn't it true what they say about a weak dog barking more?"

"What do you mean by that?!"

Cecilia only smirked mockingly,

"You're overestimating your ability. That's so typical."

Rin's hands clenched into a fist,

"I could say the same about you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she deployed her unit. Cecilia also did the same without another moment to waste.

They flew into the air and was about to commence their little spar, but an explosion of dust on the ground next to them paused them in confusion.

"What?" they both exclaimed in unison.

On the barracks, Laura stood with a blood thirsty smirk, her unit already deployed.

"Laura Bodewig…" Cecilia trailed off as she read off the specs of Laura's unit.

Rin only yelled at her heatedly,

"You've got some nerve, shooting at us out of the blue!"

Laura only ignored Rin's angry retort, and examined the two girls units,

"China's Shenlong and England's Blue Tears, huh?"

She then smirked scornfully,

"They seemed much stronger when I looked at their data alone."

Rin only smirked provocatively,

"What? You wanna have a go at us? You came all the way here from the German countryside just to get beaten up by us? You must be quite the masochist! Or is it something popular to do in the potato fields?"

Cecilia joined in sarcastically,

"My, my, Rin-san, it seems that she doesn't speak the same language. It's not very nice to tease her so much."

Laura's tone remained unimpressed,

"To think that people like you have third-generation type machines just like mine…"

She turned to Rin,

"The country that's all about quantity…"

Then to Cecilia,

"...and the country that's all about old traditions; they must be extremely short handed."

The two girls both gritted their teeth in rage.

 **Final safety device unlocked**

"Seems like she wishes to be scrapped!" Rin concluded angrily.

Cecilia added,

"Seems to be the case."

Laura provoked,

"Why don't you two come at me together? There's no way I'll lose to the bitches who fight over the stupid stallion."

This only served to add fuel to the fire.

Rin's temper only worsened,

"What did she just say?! To my ears, it sounded like 'please beat me up all you want.'"

Cecilia raised her voice angrily, which was very unlikely of her,

"How dare you disrespect someone who's not even here? I'll make sure you'll never be able to insult other's like that again!"

"Bring it on." Laura smirked and gestured them to come at her.

"Fine with us!"

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"But I gotta say, you have my pity, Ichika… Training everyday is hard I'm sure. That being said, you're going to train today too right?" Kazuki said stretching his arms out.

"Yeah, we don't have much time left before the tournament." Ichika agreed.

Charles jumped at the opportunity,

"Oh, if you're going to train, can I come too?"

"Yeah, sure." Ichika nodded.

However, their idle chatter stopped when they heard a group of flustered girls run towards the arena,

"…they said 3 representative contenders are having a practice match in the third arena!"

At this, Kazuki's expression brightened,

"Wow, now that is something to see!"

While Kazuki's face beamed in excitement, the other two only gasped in surprise.

The three students followed the crowd towards the arena.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

There already were other students sat along the spectator seats, watching the match with a bit of worry in their eyes.

Kazuki, Ichika and Charles ran down to the front row of the seats to see Houki there as well.

"Oi, Houki! What's going on?" Ichika panted, trying to see through the cloud of dust on the arena.

Houki's expression was filled with unease and concern,

"This isn't good…"

Then the dust cleared to reveal Cecilia and Rin on the ground, struggling to get up.

"Just what are they doing…" Charles trailed off.

Rin stood up on her feet and charged up her impact cannons.

"Take this!" The shot raged through the air towards Laura.

The platinum-haired girl only smirked confidently,

"It's no use against the Schwarzer Regen's Cancel Barrier!"

Laura raised her hand and created a spherical force field to completely neutralize the cannon projectile.

Ichika gaped in shock,

"She stopped Rin's impact cannon!"

"It's the AIC" Charles stated gravely.

It hit Houki like a hammer when she heard the term,

"AIC. I see, she didn't even attempt to dodge the impact cannon because she's equipped with it…"

Ichika pondered on the word,

"What's the AIC…?"

"It stands for Active Inertial Canceler. Seems like it's that German girl's trump card." Kazuki pointed out helpfully.

"It's also known as inertia cancelling ability…" Houki added.

Ichika hummed quietly,

"Hmmm…"

"Did you understand that?" Charles inquired.

Ichika nodded,

"I saw what it does. That's good enough."

Rin saw another projectile disintegrate in Laura's AIC field and grimaced,

"I can't believe we're this incompatible!"

Laura dispatched several wire-guided daggers and they flew towards Rin like heat-seeking missiles.

Rin attempted to avoid them, but eventually, a wire wrapped itself around one of Rin's ankle tightly.

"Hmph, you call it a third-generation type weapon with this kind of finishing? It's a joke." Laura swung the wire wide, flinging Rin away far, the wire still wrapped tightly.

But she couldn't afford to drop her guard as several blue drones began shooting a barrage of laser projectiles at her from behind.

She shifted her center of gravity and maneuvered around the arena ground to dodge all the projectiles, making them miss and hit the ground next to her feet each time.

The drones gave pursuit, but Cecilia also fired her missiles, not giving Laura any break. Laura moved through the air quickly and drifted from time to time in order to shake off the heat-seeking missiles. But she momentarily forgot about the drones. The drones surrounded her and was about to fire, but Laura managed to stop them using her AIC field just in time. However, Cecilia noticed that Laura had stopped moving.

"Looks like your movement stopped!" Cecilia smirked while aiming her sniper rifle at her opponent.

Laura also smirked,

"You too!"

Laura's rail gun at her back fired at the same time Cecilia fired her rifle. The impact created a large explosion in the center.

However, Laura wasn't finished, she pulled on the wire wrapped around Rin and flailed her directly into Cecilia.

The two collided and fell onto the arena grounds heavily.

Laura flew down to them and smirked. However, in an act of desperation, Rin, once again, charged up her impact cannon.

"Naïve… To think you'd use a heavy air-pressuring weapon in this situation."

Laura shot Rin's cannon with her rail gun before Rin could fire her impact cannons. Cecilia quickly took this chance to shoot Laura with her missile. Another large explosion.

Cecilia immediately hovered back from the dust cloud, joined by Rin, who now only had one impact cannon at her back.

"To think you'd use a missile at such a close range… You're reckless, aren't you?" Rin pointed out.

"You can complain later, but this must have done some damage to her…"

Just as she was saying that, the dust cloud subsided to reveal a completely unscathed Laura and her unit.

She launched a pair of wire-guided daggers and wrapped them around the girls' neck. Laura violently pulled on them, causing Cecilia to fall, and Rin's feet to drag on the ground.

Laura flew right up to them and began punching them and kicking them repeatedly with a scary smile.

 **Warning: Exceeding life support**

Charles tensed,

"At this rate, the shield energy won't hold out much longer!

"If the damage accumulates and the IS mandatory unlock gets activated, their lives will be in danger!" Houki added, a nervous sweat forming on the side of her face. It reminded her of her kendo championship; how she shamelessly beat down her opponents.

Kazuki only watched silently as small pieces of armour shattered with each kick and punch. But Ichika couldn't just stand there and watch the ordeal. He slammed his fist against the transparent barrier,

"Stop it, Laura! Stop it!"

But Laura's mercilessly beating only continued.

Unable to stand it any longer, Ichika deployed his unit and broke through the reinforced barrier with his sword in the Yukihira form.

"Ah, Ichika, if you do that…" Kazuki was about to stop him, but was too late.

Ichika hastily landed and charged angrily,

"Get your hands off!"

Ichika struck down with his yukihira, but Laura turned and activated her AIC just in time to root him in place.

"W-What? I c-can't move my body!" Ichika struggled under the force field, but thanks to his effort, Cecilia and Rin deactivated their units and fell safely onto the ground.

But Laura didn't notice them, and only looked at Ichika's frozen body in contempt,

"An emotional, linear thinker… You're a stereotype of a fool."

Ichika's Yukihira disappeared, and he only struggled more.

Laura exclaimed, "Just as I thought, you're no enemy. Before Schwarzer Regen and me, you're just one of the masses."

Ichika was faced with the end of Laura's railgun. Laura almost fired, but the gunshots from behind her prevented it. Ichika took the chance to escape and quickly move towards the downed girls.

"Ichika, get Cecilia-san and Rin-san to safety!" Charles flew in with her guns going off.

Laura clicked her tongue and dodged the hail of bullets,

"Tch, damned little fly…"

Ichika grabbed the two girls,

"Hang on."

He stared down at his low energy gauge,

 _'Please, Byakushiki, let me use the ignition boost!'_

He flew across the arena ground toward the barracks, but Laura wasn't letting them get away. Her aim locked onto Ichika and fired her rail gun at them.

She smirked manically,

 _'Die.'_

However, someone else was standing in her line of sight, and deflected her rail gun projectile away, allowing Ichika and the girls to escape unharmed.

Ichika set the girls at the far edge of the field and sat them leaning on a wall,

"Are you two okay?"

"Ichika…" Rin grunted weakly.

Cecilia's face fell into a frown,

"I'm sorry you all had to see that…"

Ichika sighed,

"Thank goodness, both of you are conscious."

Meanwhile, Charles' face brightened in relief when she saw the full-body unit,

"Kazuki!"

Laura's eyes widened when she saw the wolf-like IS unit now standing a few 100 meters from her. Her hands clenched into a fist, and they shook in rage,

"A-Again… You dare interfere again?!"

However, instead of his bright and cheery voice, Kazuki's tone was slightly lower than unusual,

"Let me ask you something, Laura Bodewig. Is it really that fun to pick on the weak?"

Laura's frown forced up to a confident smirk,

"T-That is exactly what makes it fun. You teach how weak they are against an overwhelming power."

Kazuki smirked under his snout,

"Heh, is that so? What a coincidence. I feel exactly the same."

Kazuki extended his black claws and exploded towards Laura at an incredible speed. Laura almost didn't react in time, but activated her AIC to stop Kazuki in his spot, much like how it did with Ichika.

Laura tried to smirk,

"Heh, looks like you were all just talk. I thought I told your stupid friend-"

But she didn't notice the railgun suddenly materialize on Kazuki's back, aiming straight at her. The shot fired without a warning and created another large explosion.

Laura reeled back, slightly flustered. She swung her arm powerfully to clear the dust cloud, but she felt a strong punch to her back.

"Tch!"

Laura quickly flew away from the cloud of smoke and turned to glare at Kazuki, casually walking towards her, with his claws extended threateningly.

Then the image of his odin's eyes flashed into her memory,

"You fiend! Where did you gain such strength?! Was it from the instructor?! Tell me!"

Kazuki only silently walked towards her, much to Laura's annoyance.

Laura then materialized a charged blade on her wrist and charged at Kazuki for a close-quarter combat.

She swung horizontally for his neck, but he leaned back and dodged. She then did a few thrusts towards Kazuki's armored face, but he only shifted left and right, the blade almost grazing the side of the face each time.

Frustrated, she powerfully swung inwards, only for her arm to be blocked with his, the tip of her blade ending just above the side of Kazuki's head. Kazuki wrapped his arm around Laura's blade arm, and kneed into the side of her stomach. The attack took her by surprise, so she just kneeled there in pain, her eyes wide in shock.

 _'Kuh! What fearsome strength… But it's not over yet!'_

Laura struggled to get up on her feet. Even though the shield absorbed most of the damage, she could still feel the pain pulsating in her sides. Her head hung down, but she brought it up to readjust her center of gravity. But when she did look up, she saw strands of electricity buzzing dangerously on the surface of the claw blades.

Laura's eyes widened,

 _'He added an attribute to his weapon?! Is that even possible?! But the sparks coming off his claws… There's no mistaking it…'_

Laura tried to raise her blade hand, but there wasn't any strength left in her, and she didn't have any time to counter it. Kazuki was right in front of her, his energy charged claw raised.

Kazuki swung down, but only to be blocked by a large metal katana.

Laura's eyes remained wide, but it widened a lot more when she saw who it was that saved her,

"I-Instructor?!"

Kazuki's gaze fell to see Chifuyu standing in front of Laura, with her katana blocking his energy charged claw.

Kazuki's eyes also widened in surprise,

"O-Orimura-sensei!"

He quickly stopped channeling energy into his claws and retracted them. The instant he took his claw off of the katana, the weapon disintegrated into a bunch of metal and plastic scrap.

Chifuyu sighed in annoyance,

"Honestly, this is why dealing with kids is tiring… If the grip of that katana wasn't made out of plastic, I would have been very dead, Satoshi."

The raven-haired teacher casully dusted her hands,

"I don't care if you want to have a practice match, but as a teacher I can't keep quiet when you start destroying the barriers in the arena. Just settle your score of this match in the upcoming tournament."

"If that's what you say, instructor." Laura obeyed.

Chifuyu then turned to the three,

"You three, you're all okay with that, right?"

Ichika stuttered,

"Y-Yeah…"

"It's 'yes' to a teacher, you fool." Chifuyu turned to him with a scary glare, to which he slightly flinched.

"Y-Yes."

Charles nodded in agreement,

"I don't mind that either."

Chifuyu nodded in satisfaction,

"Very well. Then, I prohibit you all from engaging in any personal match until the tournament. Is that understood?"

"Hai!"

No one dared to oppose the scary teacher and only nodded mechanically at Chifuyu's orders.

Just when Kazuki was about to head back into the barracks, the raven-haired instructor's strict voice stopped him.

"I thought you, at least, would handle the situation maturely… I'm disappointed, Satoshi." She was unimpressed; she wasn't even trying to hide it.

Kazuki grunted uneasily,

"It's kind of troublesome having other people hold that kind of expectations for me…"

"I see. Then you wouldn't mind not participating in the tournament this month?"

"Eh?"

"Hai?" the others tilted their heads in confusion.

"You're disqualified to participate in the tournament as a punishment for destroying an IS equipment."

"But that was just a lame old katana!"

"Lame old katana you probably won't be able to afford."

"How much."

Chifuyu stared at Kazuki, and he stood his ground. His arms crossed; he braced for what was to come.

"15 000 000 yen. That would be 150 000 USD in equivalent."

"That's extortion! Don't screw with me!" Kazuki yelled comically.

Chifuyu chuckled jokingly,

"Hmph, it was a joke."

Kazuki relaxed slightly in relief. Thank goodness it was-

"It's actually 400 000 USD."

"…"

Kazuki just stared at his teacher dumbly for the next douzen seconds.

"You really are enjoying this aren't you…?"

Meanwhile, while Kazuki was being mentally abused by Chifuyu, the others were going through some serious thinking.

 _'If Kazuki can't participate, that means we don't have to fight him!'_ Charles mentally fist pumped.

 _'To think Orimura-sensei would disqualify such a strong pilot from the tournament… Good job, Orimura sensei!'_ Cecilia also smiled to herself in bliss.

 _'Now my odds of winning are so much higher with him out!'_ Rin silently chuckled evilly.

Purple aura of ill intentions can be seen oozing out; it creeped Ichika out.

Kazuki quickly turned to the girls for help,

"Oi, you guys! This is clearly unfair, right? She can't just do that!"

Cecilia covered her mouth in a posh manner and chuckled,

"My, my Kazuki-san, you did destroy an IS weapon, and quite magnificently so."

Charles raised a point with an eye smile,

"You know what they say; you reap what you sow!"

Rin also added,

"Don't oppose the teacher Kazuki!"

Kazuki only stood there incredulously; feeling the betrayal at full force.

Chifuyu's grin widened, much to his humiliation,

"Well, there you have it, Satoshi."

With that, she left the scene. All the other students followed suit.

Kazuki was left standing there in the arena, the cold breeze rushing past him without a care in the world.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"W-What do you mean we can't participate in the tournament?!"

Cecilia and Rin were in the infirmary beds, a good amount of bandages wrapped around their arms, shoulder, and etc..

Yamada frowned,

"The damage to your IS is over level C. It would be too dangerous to participate in the tournament."

Rin protested,

"No way! I can fight just fine!"

Cecilia nodded furiously,

"I don't understand either!"

Yamada denied strictly and slightly raised her voice,

"No means no! If you don't focus on repairs for a while, it will lead to major problems later on."

The two girls fell silent.

Rin's mind was working and was effectively running through many senarios,

 _'Whoever wins the tournament will get to date any boy in the school, right?'_

Cecilia's mind, too, was working towards a resolution,

 _'We must stop that from happening no matter what!'_

 _'So that means the winner has to be…'_ the two thought in unison. Almost telepathically, they nodded at each other.

They suddenly turned to Ichika and Charles waiting in the corner of the room,

"Listen, you two! You have to win the tournament no matter what!"

"I want you to give it your all for us as well! We will cheer you on from the bottom of our hearts!"

Ichika and Charles only sweat dropped,

"O-Oh, you can count on us!"

"Thank you, we'll do our best to meet your expectations."

Yamada smiled obliviously,

"Such beautiful friendship!"

Little did they all know, Charles only grinned with a dark expression, running through scenarios of her own.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Kazuki had just finished taking his shower, and had returned to his room to see Charles already there. The two then casually prepared to go to sleep.

"You know, when you're alone with me, you don't have to force yourself to talk like a man."

"But before I came here, I received extensive training to carry myself like a man and speak like one, so I might not be able to lose that so quickly."

He hummed in understanding.

Charles looked away and her voice trailed off shyly,

"B-But, if it bothers you, I'll try hard to speak like a girl, at least when we're alone."

Kazuki sweat dropped,

"Like I was saying… It's not like that…"

"You don't like that?" Charles intently stared into Kazuki's eyes, almost as if she was about to cry.

"-sigh- just… do what's more comfortable for you. Besides, if you're used to the boy dialect, well, isn't that cute in its own way?"

"C-Cute? Me? You're not lying, are you?" Charles' face melted into a dreamy smile.

Kazuki looked at her strangely,

"Why would I need to lie? I'm just saying what I think is true."

"Okay, then I guess it's all right!" she blushed happily.

"Anyway let's get changed, I want to sleep already… I'll be outside, so just knock when you're done.

"Eh? It's okay. I'd feel bad too… and… I don't mind…" Charles fidgeted nervously.

"Well, you say that, but I do."

"But we're both supposed to be men, so I think they'll be suspicious if they see you waiting outside while I'm changing."

Kazuki sighed exasperatedly,

"Well… you're right about that…"

For some reason, Charles smiled happily.

"Yosh. Then we'll change with our backs to each other. How's that?"

"Mm. let's do that."

With that, the two turned around and began changing. The weird thing was, the two were standing literally a foot away from each other.

Kazuki threw off his school blazer and then stopped.

 _'I almost forgot… She'll see my limbs if I take off my long sleeves…'_

His hand fidgeted and was deep in serious thought until he heard a thud and a yelp behind him.

He turned around to see what happened, but he regretted it instantly. Charles had fallen face first, her behind was sticking out infront of him, and her plain white undergarment was also in 'plain' sight.

"Ouch… my leg got caught…" Charles grunted, but she saw Kazuki looking at her, half naked. Her purple eyes widened in panic.

"W-Wait, before you- GAH!" Kazuki made an attempt to diffuse the bomb he set off, but instead, he was rewarded with a kick, with the heel, to his family jewels.

Charles must have noticed the painful grunt and the contorted expression on Kazuki's face;

"Eh?"

"H…Ho… Home run… Kah…" Kazuki automatically collapsed, face down, onto the floor like a dead man.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Charles helped Kazuki to his bed, and to her guilt, he was out cold. She then covered him with his blanket and wiped off a bit of sweat.

 _'Gosh, he was heavy! I wonder if it's what they call muscle mass…'_

Her hands unconsciously reached out for Kazuki, but stopped midway with a flustered blush,

 _'What am I doing?! Let's just go to bed!'_

However, she paused two feet from her own bed and turned around.

 ** _"So stay here. We can protect you."_** She momentarily recalled to the reassuring voice of Kazuki.

 _'Right then, I felt needed by someone for the very first time…'_

She walked up to Kazuki's sleeping form carefully and gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight, Kazuki."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **Next day…**

"Hey look, the opponents have been decided." Charles pointed at the T.V. screen for Ichika to see.

But when they saw who they were up against, they both gasped with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Meanwhile, in the girls' changing room, Houki glared at the tournament matchup chart,

 _'What kind of pairing is this… this is the worst…'_

 **Laura Bodewig, Shinonono Houki vs Charles Dunois, Orimura Ichika**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Once again, thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows. They really do help keep me going.**

 **As for the plans for this story, I was surprised to see quite a few pairing requests (though I did expect them). I really appreciate the advice, but I decided to make this a harem since that is much easier to write (IS is a harem anime). This way, I can also satisfy (to a limited extent) readers who wanted pairings with different girls. But then again, I can't satisfy everyone. So I'll apologize for my laziness.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 10**

"To think that I'd face you in the first match already… Now I don't even have to wait" Laura smirked, watching Ichika's every move eagerly.

The spectator seats were absolutely filled to the brim. There were no empty seats, and all the students quietly sat down to watch the event unfold in front of them.

"That's my line." Ichika also smirked in excitement.

Houki only watched the glaring contest uneasily,

 _'Why do I keep having this uneasy feeling…'_

 **Begin!**

The match had begun before the contenders even realized.

"Let's do this, Ichika!" Charles locked her gun in and spread her wings.

Ichika charged forward with his Yukihara activated and let out a war cry. Laura only erected the AIC barrier to stop him right in his track.

Rin and Cecilia could be seen observing the match slightly in concern.

"Just as I thought…" Rin frowned as she saw Ichika struggle against the AIC force field.

Cecilia facepalmed in frustration,

"AIC… I thought he knew about it…"

Laura didn't seem surprised,

"A preemptive attack right after the match begins? Too easy to read."

However, Ichika wasn't flustered; instead, he smiled,

"Well, thanks. I'm glad you're really paying attention."

"Trying to act tough, huh?"

Laura's rail gun locked onto Ichika at point blank range. She was about to fire, but Charles suddenly jumped up from behind Ichika and shot several shots from her sniper rifle.

"Tch!"

Laura was forced to pull back, effectively freeing Ichika from the AIC field. But Charles flew up higher and quickly re-equipped a pair of machine guns.

"I won't let you get away!"

"There it is! Rapid switch!" Rin exclaimed in awe.

Laura dodged, the bullets digging themselves into the arena floor, but Charles gave pursuit and continued her strafing, but Houki came into Laura's support, blocking the bullets with her energy shield and her sword.

One of the bullets ricocheted off of her sword and into Charles, putting her off balance slightly. Charles landed on the ground safely and grunted in frustration.

Houki pointed her sword at the blonde,

"Don't forget that I'm also here."

She charged for Charles, but Ichika stopped her, blocking her katana with his Yukihira. But Houki didn't realize that it was all in their plan. Charles smirked and prepared to send a hail of bullet at Houki, but Houki was flailed away by a dark purple wire just in time for Charles' bullet to miss.

"What are you doing?!" Houki shouted.

Laura ignored and pressed on, charging up to Ichika with both her wrist blades activated.

Rin grimaced,

"Laura didn't exactly help Houki…"

"She was just in her way…" Cecilia finished.

After getting back on her feet, Houki made an attempt to engage Ichika, but Charles was already there in front of her, suppressing her with her machine guns.

"Sorry that your opponent isn't Ichika."

"D-Don't make fun of me!"

Watching the battle unfold from the command center, Chifuyu and Yamada were analysing their battle carefully.

"I wonder if they're going after Shinonono-san first?" Yamada wondered.

Chifuyu nodded in acknowledgement,

"That's a smart choice. Bodewig doesn't see the point of having multiple people on her side in battle. She's disregarded her partner from the beginning."

"In contrast to her, the coordination of Orimura-kun and Dunois-kun is simply brilliant."

Chifuyu's face remained indifferent,

"That's the least I expect from them."

Then Yamada remembered,

"Oh, speaking of which, what happened with Satoshi-kun? I heard that he was disqualified from the tournament…"

Chifuyu casually sipped on tea without a care in the world,

"He's gone to do his government work."

"Government work again? He's been away quite frequently lately, hasn't he?"

"Well, there's no helping it… His ability as an IS pilot is exceptional."

Yamada then smiled mischeviously,

"Wow! Orimura-sensei complemented Satoshi-kun for the first time!"

Chifuyu coughed out a bit of her tea in a flustered manner,

"I-It just means that he's useful, that's all!"

"There you go again with the lies~"

Meanwhile, Houki took several shotgun shells to her IS, effectively disabling the unit. Steam oozed out of the machine, and the system began shutting down.

 **Empty: Not Shielded. Unable to continue battle**

Houki grunted bitterly,

"So this is as far as I go...?"

With Houki out of the battle, Charles and Ichika focused on Laura at the same time. And the short German girl seemed to be having trouble.

Ichika gave Charles a nod of acknowledgement,

"That's impressive. That was a big help, thanks."

He then strengthened his resolve and got into a lower stance,

"Then, I'll finish this with this!"

Ichika's Byakishiki glowed with a golden light, and his power gauge jumped up to 100%.

 **Reiraku Byakushiki available for use. Energy conversion rate above 90%**

Noticing the change in Ichika's unit, Charles switched to her machinegun rapidly and provided cover fire. Laura attempted to block the bullets with the armour she had on her arms. Annoyed, Laura erected the AIC barrier to root Charles in the spot.

Ichika then took this chance to charge head-in.

"Uwooh!"

Ichika swung powerfully, but Laura turned around just in time to dodge the wide swing. But Ichika noticed something important when she disabled the AIC field to dodge his earlier strike.

"Could it be…?"

Once again, Ichika slid across the field towards Laura as he gave pursuit. He reeled back his yukihira for a large swing, but the platinum-haired girl smirked in response,

"Futile effort!"

Laura closed her eyes to focus, and then, activated her AIC field to root Ichika in his place. Laura's rail gun dropped from her shoulder and aimed directly at him.

"Did you forget? There's two of us!"

As if on cue, Charles' unit could be seen just behind Ichika, taking aim at Laura while she was busy maintaining the AIC barrier.

The machinegun bullets managed to damage one of Laura's jet engines, causing black smoke to seep out.

"I knew it! It's just like I thought!"

Yamada watched the teamwork between Charles and Ichika in amazement,

"Another combination attack!"

"He's realized the crucial weakness of the AIC. Its effectiveness can't be sustained unless you keep your focus on the object you want to stop." Chifuyu explained calmly.

Charles continued providing cover fire for Ichika to approach Laura. Once he did get the chance to do so, Ichika opted to slash Laura, however, his sword stopped a few centimetres above her face much to the confusion of both.

"Crap, the shield energy-"

Laura grinned,

"Now that you've exhausted your shield energy, you can no longer fight!"

She materialized her wrist blade and slashed at Ichika, but luckily for him, he was able to avoid it with a slight graze. Charles immediately began firing again. Laura deflected most of the bullets away and clicked her tongue angrily,

"You're a nuisance!"

Two wire-guided daggers launched from Laura's unit and chased down Charles. She dodged the first one, but wasn't able to do so for the second one.

"Gah!"

"Charles!"

Laura reeled her wrist blade back and did a powerful thrust with a war cry,

"Uwaaaahh!"

The impact was powerful, and the thrust sent Ichika straight into the arena floors. Laura tried to fly down in an attempt to finish him off, but Charles intercepted her, pushing Laura away a good few meters.

"It's not over yet."

Charles movement was suddenly much faster. However, her aim with the machinegun was on spot, and not a single bullet missed the target.

"Ignition Boost?! Impossible! That wasn't in the data!"

Charles grinned,

"Because this is the first I've ever used it!"

"You mean to tell me you just learned it?!"

Laura gritted her teeth,

"But it's powerless before my cancelling barrier- Awk!"

A shot hit directly into Laura's back, throwing her off balance for a second. She turned around to glare at the one responsible and saw Ichika standing far away with a rifle in his hands.

"Charles' assault rifle!" Rin exclaimed in surprise.

Laura was now enraged,

"Die already you little pest!"

A wire-guided dagger hit its mark, and threw Ichika off balance.

"Where are you looking?"

When Laura turned around, it was too late.

"I can't miss from this distance!"

Some armour platings ejected off of one of Charles' hand, revealing a thick metal spike.

Laura instantly recognized the weapon,

"Shield pierce?!"

Charles' uppercut landed directly into Laura's stomach. The impact let out a bright blue light, and cracks could be seen forming on Laura's armour. She was sent flying to the arena wall.

Ichika's expression brightened,

"We did it!"

Cecilia and Rin also rejoiced.

Charles gave chase and repeatedly punched Laura's stomach, trying to chip the shield energy off.

Laura could only watch the shield energy gauge plummet with each hit.

 _'I… can't… lose… There's no way I can lose!'_

 **-Flashback-**

 _"DNA reinforced specimen C0037… Your new code name is Laura Bodewig…"_

 _I was created to fight. It was to fight that I was born, raised and trained. I was a model for the others… and I was always on top. But that all changed when the most powerful weapon in the world, the IS, emerged._

 _In order to enhance my compatibility, they immediately performed surgery and implanted a nanomachine in my eye. But… my body was unable to accommodate it, and as a result, I was branded a failure._

 _Then I met her… She was an extremely skilled instructor. I became the best within the unit dedicated to the IS. I was on the top once again, thanks to her._

 _"Why are you so strong, instructor? What can I do to be that strong?"_

 _"I have a younger brother…"_

 _No… Why do you have such a soft look? The you that I like is strong, dignified and confident._

 _That's why I can't forgive him. That's why I can't accept a man who makes the instructor that way._

 **-End of Flashback-**

 _'I want power… Give me power. Give me unparalleled power!'_

Then, a blood chilling scream escaped from Laura's mouth as her body slowly began getting consumed by a black blob coming from her unit.

Charles noticed something was wrong, and her instincts told her to pullback.

"W-What? What's going on?!" Ichika slightly took a step back protectively.

"Somethings wrong with her unit, Ichika, stand back!" Charles warned, while taking a couple of safe steps back herself.

Chifuyu watched the screen with a grave expression,

"Go to level D security alert."

"Roger!"

Everyone observed as the black blob began taking on a human form in an IS unit. There were screams of panic everywhere, and the arena was in lock-down.

 **"All tournament matches are cancelled. We have classified this sitation as level D and are sending the instructors to bring it under control. All guests and students must evacuate immediately!"**

"Laura…" Rin trailed off in concern.

Ichika's face paled when the shapeshifting of the blob stopped,

"Y-Yukihira… Just like Chifuyu-nee's."

Yamada observed the unknown form through the screen,

"It's completely different from the attacker last month… Just what in the world happened to Bodewig-san…?"

Ichika's fist shook in rage,

"I'll do it."

Charles turned to him in confusion,

"Huh?"

However, without another word, he took his stance, and as an immediate response, the unknown form charged at Ichika with incredible speed. Ichika couldn't even follow up.

The sword was knocked out of his hand, and he fell over. The enemy IS struck down powerfully while he was down, not giving him any chance to recover. Ichika quickly brought his arm in front of him to block, but the sheer force behind the swing forced the deactivation of Byakushiki, and Ichika flew back and fell on his knees. He grabbed his arm in pain, which was now bleeding.

 _'That sword technique… That's the first technique that I learned from Chifuyu-nee!'_

Ichika's glare intensified,

 _'Damn you… how dare you imitate Chifuyu-nee!'_

He screamed in pure anger and spite,

"Screw you!"

He ran towards the enemy without his unit, but luckily, Houki was there to stop him in his track.

"You fool! What are doing?! Are you trying to get killed?!"

"Let me go! Messing around with me! I'll destroy her!"

Meanwhile, the command center personnels were quietly analysing the enemy's every movement.

"Why isn't she moving?"

Chifuyu hummed ponderously,

"Is it some kind of automatic program that responds to weapons and attacks?

"Then, what of Bodewig-san's will?"

Chifuyu seemed to have fallen silent to that.

"Let me go, Houki! If you get in my way, I'll-"

"Cut it out already!" Houki yelled and slapped him across the face.

"What's gotten into you?"

Ichika tried to calm down and explained,

"She's using the same Iai as Chifuyu-nee! That's her technique and her's alone!"

 ** _"Listen Ichika, you're supposed to swing a sword. It's not swordsmanship if you let it swing you. It's heavy, isn't it? That's the weight of a weapon that can end someone's life."_**

"But what can you do as you are right now? How can you even fight when there's no energy left in Byakushiki?"

Then, several instructors arrived with their units, surrounding the enemy unit.

"Look, the situation is being handled without you doing anything."

"You're wrong. You're completely wrong, Houki."

Ichika looked up at her with a strong look in his eyes,

"This isn't about me feeling that I need to do it. This is about me wanting to do it!"

"Then what are you going to do?!"

"If you don't have energy, then you just have to find one."

Houki and Ichika turned to Charles who appeared next to them with a reassuring smile. She then proceeded to take out a cable and connected it to Ichika's bracelet.

"Revive core bypass, release. Energy flow, authorized."

Charles then gave him a friendly thumbs up,

"Don't you lose, Ichika!"

Ichika gawked at Charles for a brief moment before smiling in reassurance,

"Ah, of course! I'm no man if I lose!"

Yamada saw some movements among the young students still in the arena.

"What are they doing…?"

"Instructor units, standby. But be ready to attack on my signal." Chifuyu ordered.

"Orimura-sensei?"

"Let them handle it."

Charles' unit disappeared with the completion of energy transfer from Revive to Byakushiki.

"It's complete now."

"Thanks! I'll reactivate Byakushiki in a single-pole mode."

Ichika closed his eyes and concentrated on the partial formation of his IS. Soon enough, his right arm became clad in IS armour, and he was holding his yukihira.

"Looks like it only works on the weapon and the right arm." Charles said in disappointment.

"That's good enough!" He swung his sword out provocatively and succeeded in getting the enemy's attention.

"Ichika!"

He turned to see Houki with a slight look of concern,

"Don't die."

Ichika smiled,

"Have some faith in me, Houki. I'll definitely win!"

"I see. Then good luck." Houki's frown turned up into a light grin, but from somewhere deep within her, she felt the unease creep slowly up to her mind.

 _'It's going to be okay… He's never lied before, so he'll win!'_

Houki kept telling her that like a magic spell, trying to ignore the feeling of unease resting inside her.

"Reiraku Byakuya, activate!" Ichika's body glowed golden for a second, then the center of Yukihira split and an energy charged blade formed.

"Prepare yourself, you fake bastard!" With that, Ichika and the enemy charged at each other.

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

Kazuki once again grimaced at the sight in front of him with mucus drooling from one of his nostrils. He was looking out at a snowy mountain range. It was snowing, the wind was blowing fiercely, but he just stood there with his camouflage active.

This time around, the government had asked Kazuki to survey the Russian mountain peaks in search of a private military organization that was possibly owned by a major company in Japan.

"It's cold…"

Kazuki wasn't very amused by the violent winds hitting against his unit and felt a sneeze coming.

"-sneeze- -sniff- damn…"

Then, there was a sound of a phone ringing,

 **Incoming call…**

"Hello? I'm kind of busy right now, so if you can-"

 **"Satoshi, it's me."**

It was Chifuyu's stern voice, and it was easy for him to recognize.

"Sensei? I'm a little busy-"

 **"We have a problem here at the academy."**

Chifuyu's serious tone told Kazuki everything about the meaning behind the words, and suddenly, his eyes narrowed seriously,

"Are the students okay? Is Houki safe?"

 **"Ichika's injured; the rest are okay… But most of the instructors were incapacitated."**

Kazuki relaxed his expression in knowing that they were more or less safe,

"Then, everything's under control, right?"

 **"…"**

"?"

 **"I think you need to come here and see for yourself."**

Then the line was cut from her side and Kazuki was left there to hesitate.

"Mmmm…" He grumbled and looked back and forth between the mountain ranges and the way he came from.

With a quick sigh of defeat, he deactivated his camouflage and flew off into the distance towards South.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Ichika held his bleeding arm with his teeth clenched tightly,

"D-Damn it!"

"Don't move Ichika! Whatever you do, don't move a muscle!"

Ichika did as Houki shouted from the other side of the enemy IS. His eyes darted left and right and saw the unconscious bodies of instructors lying around, some of them grunting in pain.

Everyone in the arena was absolutely still for some reason. But the enemy IS was also completely immobile in its spot.

"It seems like it won't attack unless we move…" Charles deduced, from the side, not moving as well.

"Where's Kazuki?!" Houki felt slightly annoyed by Kazuki's absence in a dire situation like this.

"I don't know, but we could sure use his help now!" Charles added.

A transmission from Chifuyu then came,

 **"Orimura, don't do anything stupid. Satoshi's on his way.**

Their face brightened in slight relief.

"Really? Then we're saved…" Ichika sighed, loosening his feeling of tension.

"Just what's he doing skipping school?" Houki muttered in dissatisfaction.

"It's probably some work with the government… He's gone very often isn't he?" Charles wondered.

"Hmph, is the work with a bunch of strangers more important than your friends?"

"Well, he's working for the government, so don't be too hard on him, Houki…" Ichika persuaded.

Houki let out a sigh of defeat, "-sigh- he's going to get an earful when he comes back."

Suddenly, Houki noticed her training unit unlock itself.

 **Shield Energy replenished: Unit lock deactivated**

With a puff of steam, the machinery began to move and the sound of mechanical parts resounded.

Charles' face paled for a second when she realized what was going to happen,

"Houki, shut down your unit, quickly!"

"Oh no-"

Just as they feared, the instant Houki's unit unlocked itself, the enemy IS jerked towards her, with its weapon at the ready.

"Houki!"

Houki scrambled to find the shut down switch, but to no avail. She saw the black figure fly towards her, and so, she clenched her teeth and raised her own weapon to block an overhead strike.

"Sensei! Shinonono-san has engaged in battle with Bodewig-kun!"

Chifuyu quickly paced towards the screen and bit her lips in frustration,

"I thought I told them not to move a muscle."

Houki pulled back a few steps, but her opponent pursued. She blocked a slash to her sides and parried a stab. She saw a slight opening and went for it without a second of hesitation. Houki did a diagonal slash, but unsurprisingly, the opponent blocked it.

"Tch!"

Ichika also deployed his unit and sought to assist.

"Over here, you copycat!"

Byakushiki's sword opened to reveal a pillar of energy that would cut through the shield energy of the opponent.

The attack had landed and a large gash appeared at its back, but it regenerated almost instantaneously.

"Wha-"

In his moment of shock, Ichika failed to notice a large swing coming at him, and was sent flying into the arena wall.

"Ichika!" Houki tried to fly past to get to him, but stopped just in time to avoid a vertical swing.

"Damn you…"

The opponent reeled its weapon back for another big swing, but its stance faltered when a hail of bullets rained down from above.

"Houki! I'll hold Laura back, you go get Ichika!"

"Thanks! I owe you one!" Houki quickly rushed past the black unit.

Charles landed on the other side and kept firing down the black unit. However, the bullets were seemingly doing nothing to it.

"Hmmm, so, reinforced armor, and instant regeneration? Isn't that a little too overpowered?"

Charles once again took out her armor piercing spike in her wrist and charged at her opponent in a close quarter combat.

A solid hit to the chest landed, creating a small crater on impact, but as expected, the cracks began disappearing.

"I'm not done yet!"

Charles rapid-switched to her sniper rifles, dual wielding them, and fired directly at its face in point blank range. Its head jerked back and the shots blew it into the air.

Ichika and Houki watched as the unit fell hard onto the arena floor, and saw that it was motionless.

"Did… we do it…?" Houki trailed off incredulously.

"O-Oh, looks like it! Way to go, Charles!" Ichika cheered on happily.

Charles rubbed the back of her head blissfully,

"Eyaah~ it was nothing really!"

 **"You fool! Don't let your guard down!"**

Chifuyu's warning immediately snapped Charles out, but it was too late. A powerful swing landed directly on her lower back, and was sent flying across the field.

"Dunois-kun! Sensei, at this rate, his unit's going to…" Yamada was cut off when the door to the command center opened abruptly.

It was Kazuki. Judging by his indifferent facial expression, he seemed surprisingly calm.

"So, what's going on?"

Yamada's face instantly brightened when she saw the blonde teen,

"S-Satoshi-kun!"

He walked over to take a look at the screen and his eyes widened in surprise,

"I-Isn't this-"

Chifuyu nodded gravely,

"That's right. It's the Valkyrie Trace System. A program developed to-"

"- increase the performance of the IS by mimicking the former winners of Mondo Grosso. But it's supposed to be banned by the treaty…" Kazuki finished for her, to her slight impress.

"Hoh? So you did read that textbook. I now see you in new light, Satoshi, rejoice." Chifuyu smirked sarcastically.

Kazuki threw a quick smile,

"Well, it's a given for a student to read them."

His attention was then fixed on the screen, watching Houki, Ichika and Charles all attacking Laura simultaneously.

Kazuki only nodded,

"Okay. I know what I'm dealing with. Please open the barrack gate when I get there."

"Satoshi."

He turned to see a grave look on both Yamada and Chifuyu's expression.

"Don't over do it."

He turned back around and waved his hand lazily.

In the meanwhile, Ichika was keeping the VT system busy while Houki and Charles made an attempt to sneak up behind it.

However, a burst of the VT system's jet engine threw them both back. Ichika felt the accelerating force on his yukihira and noticed his feet being pushed back against his will. Finally, his strength gave out and tumbled onto his back while the VT system flew up to look down on the three.

"It can fly too?!" Houki gaped incredulously.

The black IS didn't give any chance for recovery as it flew down like a hawk and slashed past Ichika.

"Guh!"

Ichika saw his energy gauge fall dangerously low.

"Not again! At a time like this!"

"Ichika, watch out!"

The VT system tried to do another sweep attack, but luckily for Ichika, Charles bought him enough time to move out of the way by providing suppressive fire with her submachine guns.

"Thanks!"

Houki jumped high directly towards the airborn IS in an attempt to bring it back down, but it was simply too fast.

"Tch!" Houki landed heavily onto the ground. She tried to perform another jump, but then her unit began shutting down.

 **Empty: Not Shielded. Unable to continue battle**

"No! not again! This piece of junk!"

Charles noticed the energy depletion of Houki's unit and made her way towards her,

"I'm on my way Houki, just hang in there-"

Charles failed to notice the VT system and was thrown off her feet with a strike straight to her stomach. Her unit disappeared mid flight and tumbled a few feet away.

"Charles!" Ichika charged the enemy angrily, but the VT system simply maneuvered itself away from Ichika's relentless slashes.

He was too busy trying to land a hit, he didn't notice the red light flashing at the bottom corner of his vision.

 **Shield Energy: Critical**

He realized it when the pillar of energy disappeared from the hilt, and the sword folded itself into a normal metal sword.

"My shield energy!"

Seeing this as a chance to counter, the VT system flew towards him at an incredible speed with its weapon drawn back.

Ichika braced for the slash to land, but what he saw instead was Houki's unit blocking his vision.

"Hou-"

As soon as the syllable left his mouth, there was a sound of metal being cut and crushed. He could only watch as Houki fell slowly down onto the dirt with a small trail of blood coming from her back.

His eyes widened in shock,

"Houki!"

His unit disappeared, but he scrambled towards Houki, who was lying face down, unmoving.

"Oi, Houki! Get a hold of yourself! Oi!"

Ichika heard the enemy IS land just a few meters away from him and Houki. He turned to it with the fiercest glare, but just a glare wouldn't defeat the enemy in front of him; he knew that.

It prepared to deliver a quick and final blow. This time, he closed his eyes, and prayed,

 _'Please, Kazuki! Help us! Save Houki!'_

His fists were clenched so tightly, his nails slightly cut through the skin of his palm.

 **Crash**

He thought it was over for him and Houki. But when he heard the loud crashing of metal, his eyes opened with a jolt, and saw that the VT system had dropped its sword. He slightly looked up to see that its arms were cut off and tossed aside, but the peculiar thing was that its feet weren't touching the ground. Additionally, he could see a large dent on its head as if it was being grabbed tightly by a large hand.

Then from head to toe, the invisible color of Kazuki's unit faded away, revealing an energy charged tungsten claw on one hand and his other hand grabbing the VT system by its head.

"K-Kazuki…?"

Ichika was confused. He was supposed to feel relieved and happy that he was back, but the way Kazuki looked currently made him have the opposite reaction.

Chifuyu then notice something and it slightly spooked her,

"That kid… Does he plan to- Yamada! Hand me the radio! Quickly!"

Yamada jumped in her seat slightly, but she quickly scrambled for the transmitter and handed it over to her.

"Oi, Satoshi! Bodewig is still inside that unit! I repeat! A pilot is still inside that unit!"

No response.

"Satoshi, teme! If you hear the transmission, then say something damn it!"

However, no words reached him. He only channelled more energy into his claw and prepared to stab straight through its chest. The claw was so charged; it was emitting strands of plasma off the surface of the blade.

Chifuyu put the transmitter down,

"It's no use; he's not listening."

"Wait, sensei, you can't be serious! Satoshi-kun would never-"

Yamada saw the uneasy look on Chifuyu's face, and it only made her feel worse.

She then grabbed the transmitter herself,

"Satoshi-kun! Stop! You can't! Satoshi-kun!"

"K-Kazuki… you can't… Laura's still…" Charles looked through one of her half opened eyes and groaned weakly.

From inside his unit, Kazuki's azure eyes disappeared and a pair of gold dark center pupil replaced it, and the sclera was dyed black.

His thoughts were void, and he only stared at the broken down VT system with empty eyes. His hand moved in for the kill-

 ** _"Mom! Dad! Look what I made in school today!"_**

It was like a powerful lightning shock. Kazuki's yellow eyes widened instantly when several images of a small boy and his parents popped into his head.

 **Crash**

He stared down at the VT system, with three black blade tips sticking out of its back, completely and utterly unmoving.

Ichika's eyes widened in despair,

"L-Laura… sh-she's…"

Yamada covered her mouth to hide her shock completely apparent on her face.

Kazuki fell on his knees, and Lyka disappeard, along with the claw stabbed into the VT system.

But when the claw disappeared from its body, the black armor split opened, and a platinum haired girl emerged from it unscathed.

"W-What?"

Before Kazuki could react, Laura's unconscious body fell gently into his arms.

Kazuki didn't notice it, but for a second, Laura's eyes opened very slightly and saw a blonde teen with demonic black and yellow eyes. He seemed to be shocked; in a momentary trance; as if he was in a world of his own. From his wide opened eyes however, she saw tears flow down freely from one of his eyes. But soon enough, she fell back into unconsciousness.

Yamada's tear streaked face brightened,

"Sensei! Look! She's okay! Bodewig-kun is unharmed!"

Chifuyu sighed,

"Looks like he deactivated the charge on his claw before it hit."

Kazuki looked down at the small girl in his arms, and for a few more seconds, he knelt there. He then embraced her in a warm hug with a look of pain in his face.

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

 _"…how can you be so strong…? For what purpose?"_

 _"You're wrong. I'm not strong. I'm… not strong at all… Strength without a reason is meaningless…"_

 _"…why must you have a reason to be strong…? Strength is everything… That's how I've lived my life. Without strength, I'm… nothing."_

 _"That's not true. Life isn't all about strength. It's a good thing to have in life, but that becomes pointless if you've got nowhere to use it… Like a pistol without a bullet; a yin without a yang…"_

 _"A pistol without a bullet…"_

 _"There's much more to life than just power. It's up to you to find what they are and search for a reason to live."_

 _"My reason to live…?"_

 _"Until you do, I'll protect you and your perseverance to live, Laura Bodewig."_

Laura's eyes slowly opened and felt that she was still in a dream,

"A dream…"

Her eyes fell next to her to see Chifuyu sitting on a stool next to her bed.

"You're finally awake, Laura?"

"I-Instructor, what happened…?"

"This matter is very important, and on top of that, has to be kept classified for your safety… but, you do know of the VT system, right?"

"Valkyrie Trace System…" Laura trailed off.

"That's right. It's research, development and usage are strictly banned by the IS treaty. But your IS was equipped with it. The pilot's mental condition, accumulated damage to the machine, and most importantly the pilot's will- no maybe desire… It looks like it was design to activate when those things are present."

Laura looked out into the sunset with her fists shaking in shame,

"It's because I wished for it…"

"Laura Bodewig!"

Chifuyu's stern voice quickly snapped her out of her trance.

"H-Hai!"

"Who are you?"

"I-I am…" She didn't understand the meaning behind her words yet, and looked at her in confusion.

"If you're no one, then it's perfect. From now on, you're Laura Bodewig."

"Eh?"

Chifuyu stood up and began walking out of the infirmiry room. She stopped just by the door and threw a rare grin,

"And you'll never be able to become me."

Laura just lay there with a dumbstruck expression. But in the next moment she chuckled in amusement.

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

"How's she doing?" Ichika asked with concern filling his tone.

"Yamada-sensei said she should be able to move by the end of today." Rin finished looking over Houki who was lying comfortably on another infirmary bed.

"Fortunately, her injuries weren't too serious." Cecilia added.

Ichika turned to Charles, who was lying down on a bed with some bandages wrapped around her head.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Charles…"

"Eyaah~ I was surprised when that came out of nowhere! I was going to transfer some of my energy to Houki's unit." Charles scratched her head sheepishly.

Ichika stared down at unconscious Houki with a shameful frown,

"It's because I'm so weak… Houki got this hurt."

Kazuki was only watching the scenery while leaning on a wall, with his arms crossed, a complex look on his face.

Ichika turned to Kazuki to show his feeling of gratitude,

"I still haven't thanked you yet, Kazuki. I don't know what we could do without you…"

Ichika's expression fell into a depressed one,

"I was really weak and useless during that fight… I think protecting people is more suited for someone strong like you rather than me…"

"Stop messing around already."

Everyone in the room directed their attention at Kazuki when his tone felt like daggers. It was the first time Ichika saw such an angry look on the blonde's face; he felt a bit of sweat running down his face.

"Just how long are you planning to rely on me to protect you and your friends?"

"I-I'm not…"

"To be honest, Ichika, when I met you, I looked up to you; I respected you for such a strong determination and passion. But now, I don't see that anymore."

Ichika looked down slightly in muse. He was right. Ichika was quick to look for Kazuki at the first sign of danger. He looked down in shame.

 **Ring Ring**

Kazuki noticed his phone ring and answered,

"Hello? Yes, this is Satoshi Kazuki… Now? I understand…"

Kazuki sighed and closed his eyes wearily as he closed the phone shut. He then turned to leave the infirmary, but stopped midway when Cecilia asked quietly,

"W-Where are you going, Kazuki-san?"

"I need to go back and report my mission result."

"You're going back to the government already? But you just got here…" Charles said in worry.

"Aren't you at least going to say something to Houki before you leave? She's your roommate." Rin cocked a brow accusingly.

"She's alive; that's more than enough."

"W-Wha-"

The girl's eyes widened in absolute surprise when they heard the words come out of Kazuki's mouth.

"Kazuki, teme, what did you just say?!" Ichika stood up and turned to the blonde fearlessly with a glare.

"I'm saying, I don't need to be here wasting time-"

 **Punch**

Everyone just stood there gaping when Ichika lunged at Kazuki with all his strength, knocking him into the wall, and onto the floor.

"How the hell can you say something so harsh, Kazuki? Isn't Houki an important friend? Why the hell are you treating her like a stranger?! Do you not care about her at all?!"

Rin held Ichika back with all her efforts to prevent the situation from escalating.

"Oi, Ichika! Calm down!"

Kazuki stood up, wiping the blood from the edge of his lips, but he didn't utter a single word. He then simply took his leave without looking back.

"Oi, get back here, Kazuki! Kazuki!"

However, watching the whole scene fold out in front of her, Charles couldn't hold up the pent up stress, and so, she yelled out in emotional angst,

"Stop it, Ichika!"

Ichika stopped immediately, taken back by Charles yell. He had never seen Charles get this angry before.

"Can't you understand how much pain he must be going through? Do you think he's saying those things because he wants to?!"

Suddenly, realization came to them like lightening.

Charles continued,

"Of course he's worried about Houki! That's not even a question! I heard he got seriously injured after the match against Rin from protecting Houki."

Charles was right. Ichika remembered the state of Kazuki and his unit after that ordeal. It was so bad he had to be bedridden for a couple days.

"He just didn't want to make us worried! His work with the government is what keeps our IS academy life peaceful. If it were not for Kazuki, Orimura-sensei could have been arrested."

Charles looked down, her eyes shadowed by her front hair,

"He's been enduring all this alone…"

"Kazuki-san…" Cecilia felt ashamed for not having to notice all the hardship Kazuki was going through.

"…" At this point, Rin noticed that all this time, somewhere inside them, they've always been expecting for a positive end result; that everything was going to be alright. They then ended up taking that for granted when it really was Kazuki that's always been protecting their naïve hope and belief.

Ichika took a step back and pinched the bridge of his nose,

"I… I said something really stupid to Kazuki, didn't I…?"

Nobody said a thing. More like, they didn't have a right to say anything.

Ichika shook his head, and a firm look of determination replaced his earlier look of depression,

"When he comes back, I'm going to properly thank him, and apologize!"

The girls all smiled to that in agreement,  
"I think I will do the same."

"Yeah, I'll do it just this once."

Charles smiled in relief, glad to see their spirits up.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki paced through the school hallway with a greatly perturbed look on his face,

 _'Just what the hell were those images back then?!'_

 ** _"Mom! dad! Look what I made in school today!"_**

Suddenly, a quick, but sharp pain entered his head. He grunted and slightly lost his balance, forcing him to lean on a nearby wall.

He placed a hand on his forehead in pain and dragged it down his face tiredly, but he felt something wet touch his hand. When he withdrew his hand, he saw red; blood. He finally noticed blood dripping from his eyes like tears.

He could also taste the blood in his mouth, and when he coughed, surprisingly enough, he found more blood covering his hand.

 _'This doesn't look good.'_

Luckily, there was a bathroom straight a head of him, to which he limped his way there.

Meanwhile, Chifuyu saw a familiar blonde teen wobbling his way towards the bathroom. She felt something was wrong and decided to follow him.

Kazuki quickly washed off the blood on his face and hands. He looked himself in the mirror and saw that there was nothing different in particular. However, he did notice that his skin was a lot paler.

 _'Is it just my imagination…?'_

Then a female voice,

"Oi, Satoshi, you alright in there?"

He slightly jumped at Chifuyu's voice, but quickly found his composure,

"My, my, are you hunting me down to the males' bathroom for my homework, Orimura-sensei?"

"Don't flatter yourself, kid. I wouldn't go through all that effort for someone like you."

Thankfully, she didn't come in; it seemed like she was waiting outside the bathroom door.

Chifuyu saw Kazuki casually walk out of the bathroom with his usual face, but she did notice the paleness in his skin,

"Is there something wrong? You're looking paler than usual."

"I guess I'm just a little tired from that battle earlier…" Kazuki shrugged innocently, and Chifuyu only looked at him unsurly.

 **Ring Ring.**

"Oh! That must be Minister Hamada! If you'll excuse me, sensei… I'll be back before the curfew, so don't worry!"

With that, he quickly walked off, leaving a very suspicious Chifuyu behind.

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

I grabbed the phone out of the pocket and saw that it was Tabane calling me.

"Tabaco? You need something?"

 **"Kazu-chan?! Is Kazu-chan safe?! Is there anything wrong?! If there is, please tell me everything!"**

I slightly reeled back from the phone in confusion. Was this really Tabaco? Her voice seemed full of fear and anxiety.

"C-Calm down, what happened?"

 **"That's my line! Kazu-chan's status window is glowing red! It says Kazu-chan is hurt!"**

 _'Oi, you were watching me this whole time through that status window…?!"_

"Stop spying on me, you creep!"

 **"I'm serious, Kazu-chan! There's something wrong with the core's compatibility to your body!"**

I slightly flinched at that. I began understanding what was going on.

"-sigh- okay. It's all… coming back to me."

 **"What is?"**

"My memories… During a match, several images of my childhood popped into my head like electricity. That wasn't the only time, I've had it in dreams too… When I try to remember, my head feels like someones hammering a nail into it."

Tabaco was silent over the phone for a couple seconds.

 **"K-Kazu-chan… Is that really true?"**

There was something unsettling about her tone.

"Y-Yeah…? I mean, it could just be a headache you know? Can it really get worse?"

 **"…"**

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing I need to worry about… Right?"

Jinxed it. Here I am, raising death flags left and right. I was like a protagonist of an anime. Ridiculous. Like I believe in that crap.

 **"Kazu-chan… Your condition… There's no other way to explain… It's…"**

When I heard Tabaco utter the words, my eyes widened in dismay. My hands were shaking. I didn't have any other smarter words to say,

"W-What…? You've got to be kidding me…"

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

It was close to 10pm in the evening, and as usual, Kazuki was walking back to his room, 1025, staring down at the pristine quality carpet under his feet.

Unlike the other days however, his mind was occupied with a lot of things. He messaged his temples in an attempted to relieve his pent up stress, but it wasn't doing much.

Then, he noticed a girl walk up to him to greet. It was a girl from the same class.

"Oh, hi, Satoshi-kun! Are you just coming back from dinner?"

"Yeah, I guess. It wasn't that filling, I must say…"

He showed a look of disapproval.

"But did you hear? The school's opened a large men's bath! I'm so jealous! Such a huge bath for you and Dunois-kun!"

Kazuki's ears perked at the word 'bath' and grinned,

"Oh is that true? Mind telling me where this 'bath' is?"

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

The men's indoor bath was huge. It was as if it was designed for at least 50 people. Even though it was indoors, Kazuki could see the trees and bushes just to the sides, adding a bit of refreshing atmosphere to the place. Additionally, there was an opening on the ceiling where one could see the stars scattered all around the night sky.

Kazuki stretched out and laid back in the hot warm water,

"Ahhh~ I feel alive…"

He raised his right arm slightly to see the droplets of water on the surface of the jet black metal arm.

 _'It should be okay to let my wings out for once, right?'_

He stood up, wrapping his waist with his bath towel, and looked up blankly,

 _'Just what are you doing… Satoshi Kazuki…?'_

Unconsciously, his eye color changed to yellow and black, and Kazuki was too immersed in thought to notice.

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos**

* * *

Meanwhile, Charles stood in front of a large sign that read "Male bath" and remained still for about a solid minute.

 _'Okay, you can do this, Charles… You came this far...'_

She stared down at her outfit, and it was simply a bathrobe with absolutely no undergarments.

She blushed in embarrassment,

 _'There really must be something wrong with me to do this…'_

Regardless, she took a brave gulp and marched in.

As expected, there was absolutely no one in the changing room. There were many empty baskets that were meant for clothes that people take off and store them in, but most of them were empty. However, one basket had a male's white school uniform neatly folded into it. There was also a black long sleeve that Kazuki always wore.

 _'Yosh, there's no mistaking it! He's in here!'_

Charles took her robe off and neatly stored it in the empty basket next to Kazuki's stuff and walked towards the bath. When she opened the door, she could feel the hot steam hit against her bare body. She could make out a figure among the steam; her face brightened and tried calling out for him,

"Kazuk-"

But when the cloud of steam subsided slightly, she saw something she shouldn't have. Kazuki was staring up into the sky blankly and didn't notice she was there, but she clearly saw his right arm and left leg.

His limbs were inhumane; like that of a robot's. They were jet black metal, and followed the details of a real human's muscle, but they were completely different from his human arm and leg. Not only that, his back was nothing but nasty scars and stitch marks.

It was a horrible sight, and Charles' face became a mixture of fear and confusion. She subconsciously took a step back, but ended up knocking down a bottle of shampoo. The sound echoed throughout the room.

Kazuki slightly turned his head, and one of his eyes met with Charles'. It wasn't the eye of a human. Sclera black; pupil was yellow with a dark center. His eyes seemed lifeless for a second, but when he realized that someone was staring at him, his eyes widened, but his eyes were exactly as it was; black and gold.

"C-Charles…?"


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry to disappoint you guys but this will be a very short chapter; that being said, this will pretty much be the only time I'll make a 600 word chapter, so rest assured.**

 ****IMPORTANT****

 **There's been a few review about pairings, but there was one particular one that was very powerful and I decided to make a poll to decide how I'm going to progress the story. So yeah, you got me you pairing-loving-freaks; you convinced me to reconsider. If you want this story to be a Harem, just choose that option and vote, or if you want a pairing, then choose that in the poll.**

 **To vote, you need an account (Don't blame me), and you need to direct yourself to my profile; you'll see the poll there. I'll decide when I get about a 100 votes.**

 **I'll continue posting new chapters while I wait for the poll results. Changing the concept to a pairing won't change this story much. Kazuki will choose one girl in the end; that's all.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 11**

The men's large bath was silent even though there were two people currently occupying the place.

Kazuki and Charles sat facing away from each other in the hot water. Neither of them spoke a single word. Charles stole a few stealthy glances at Kazuki as she rotated her head slightly to see.

"It's not a pleasant sight, is it?" Kazuki began with a light chuckle to which Charles looked away quickly in a startled manner.

"I'm not too proud of it myself, so it's okay…"

Charles remained mute, unable to find the right words to say to him.

Kazuki looked up and let out a grin of defeat,

"So I let my guard down and this is immediately what happens… Lesson learned."

"I'm sorry…" was all Charles could say at that moment.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. It was inevitable."

"But why were you hiding them all this time? Having a few prosthetic limbs isn't anything to be ashamed of… Those scars too. It's not that surprising considering how experienced you are in fighting…" Charles inquired seriously.

"If that's really all there was to me, then I wouldn't bother hiding them…"

"What do you mean?"

Kazuki's head fell and stared down at his own reflection,

"You see… I… was one of the victims of the Apeiron Tragedy…"

When she heard the words, her eyes widened like they've never had before. She slowly turned around to look at Kazuki.

"Y-You don't mean that horrible project that was conducted on young boys who were kidnapped...?"

"All these scars are from the experiments they've put me through. When I finally had enough, I escaped."

Kazuki sighed as if forming a resolve. He then slowly turned around to reveal a slab of metal on the left side of his chest and a number tattoo "27" on the right.

"… at a cost that I'd never be able to afford."

Charles had to cover her mouth to hide the shock on her face. The state of his body was worse on the front. The number and size of scars were a lot larger; there was one large horizontal scar stretching from one end of his chest to the other. Worst of all, there was a slab of metal where his heart should be.

Kazuki hung his head down and closed his eyes in sadness. He just sat there in complete silence.

"Charles, can I ask you this one question?"

Charles snapped out of her initial shock and looked at him.

"Do I scare you?"

He raised his head and gave her a look that she would never forget.

Fear.

She could see it in his azure eyes. He was smiling, but she could tell that he was afraid.

Kazuki slightly tilted his head in confusion when he got no response from her. He tried to repeat it in case she didn't hear,

"Aren't you afraid of-"

Before he could finish, he was caught in a tight embrace. Charles had her arms wrapped around his back and rested her head against his chest. Kazuki placed his hands on her shoulder in an attempt to gently push her away, but she refused to let go.

"Get away, Charles… you're touching a corpse…"

Then he felt tears drip down his chest and noticed that she was sobbing,

"Stop it! Just… Stop it!"

Her embrace only tightened,

"Stop saying such sad things! Of course I'm not afraid of you, stupid!"

Kazuki's eyes widened. It was an answer he wasn't expecting. But his face melted into a genuinely grateful smile.

"I see… Thank you…"

Kazuki caressed her hair compassionately and mused,

 _'Looks like it was me with the mask on this whole time…'_

He stared into the starry night sky and felt the comfort settling into him.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: I managed to squeeze out another chapter, but my exams starts tomorrow, and so it will be awhile until the next one comes out. Once again, thank you so much for sticking around to read such a sh!tty fanfic. I'll do my best to satisfy you all.**

 **This chapter basically covers the 9th episode of the anime series,** **so** **this story is actually coming to an end soon, and I have to decide if this will be a harem, or a pairing fanfic, so when I get 50 votes on the poll, I'll choose then. So don't forget to vote for your preference.**

 **And leave some reviews! I want to know what you're thinking when you're reading my fanfic. Is it a pile of poop? Is it a decent fanfic? Let me know!**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Kazuki and Charles returned to their room and were preparing to sleep.

"Kazuki." Charles called out in a low voice, and seemed like she wanted to say something.

"Hmm?" He hummed curiously while neatly setting his bed up.

"Can I ask you something? It's important."

Kazuki showed a bit of reluctance,

"Mmm… I want to sleep…"

"You can do that in a few minutes! Stupid Kazuki!" She pouted.

Kazuki finished up setting his bed and sat on it with a comfortable sigh,

"I know. It's about your name isn't it?"

That took Charles by surprise,

"H-How did you know?"

Kazuki let out a peaceful grin,

"Charlotte… That's the name your mother gave you, isn't it?"

"H-How…?"

"The female equivalent of Charles is Charlotte; wouldn't that be easy enough to guess? And…"

Charlotte noticed the longing look in his face as he continued,

"When you talked about your mother, you seemed more genuine and I felt the sadness and grief in your tone when you said she passed away. You really must have loved her…"

"Kazuki…"

Kazuki then threw his arms out and stretched his legs out,

"Well, that's that then. And also, you know, you should be careful marching into the men's bath next time. It could get pretty messy if someone sees you going into it."

Charlotte suddenly blushed intensely and slightly fidgeted her fingers,

"Y-You know, about that… Remember what I said a fews days ago? I've decided to stay here at the academy… It doesn't matter if they find out about me being a girl; it's because Kazuki's here, I feel that I want to stay."

Her fidgeting intensified,

"So, what I'm trying to say is-"

"-Snore-"

"Ah-reh…?"

Charlotte turned around and saw Kazuki sleeping, facing the other way, his snores coming out occasionally each breath.

She sweat dropped and stared at him in exasperation, but shrugged her shoulders and smiled in defeat,

"Goodness sake. Kazuki you dummy."

With that, she turned the lights off and fell fast asleep.

A short moment after, Kazuki's snoring immediately stopped, and he sat up on his bed with a grievous expression.

He stood up in the dark and headed towards the door, but he turned around to take a last glace at Charlotte,

 _'I'm sorry, Charlotte… But I can't be your reason to stay in this academy… Because I'm…'_

He quickly snuck out of the room, and made his way outside of the accommodation building.

Kazuki found his way up the main school building, and up on the roof. The moon and the stars lit the darkness of the night; the sounds of nature complementing the peaceful scenery.

 _'This roof… It's the place I first met Houki, isn't it… It's only been a couple months, but it felt like a long time…'_ Kazuki thought happily, recalling to his first day at the IS academy.

 ** _"…it's so late at night, but why is it so bright, dad? Didn't Mr. Sun go to bed?"_**

 ** _"That's because Mr. Moon just woke up, son. Mr. Moon may not be as bright as Mr. Sun, but you can see, Mr. Moon is a lot prettier, don't you think?"_**

Kazuki's eyes widened when a flash of memory attacked him. He collapsed onto his knees and grabbed his head, grunting in pain.

 _'This again! At this rate…'_

"Hoh… So this was the dangerous condition Tabane-sama was talking about."

Kazuki's head was down, trying to control the pain, so he couldn't see, but he thought he recognized the voice,

"T-That voice…"

Kazuki slowly raised his head with great effort and saw a long platinum-haired girl with fancy looking clothes. Her eyes, for some reason, appeared to look closed, but Kazuki new exactly what were underneath the girl's eye lids.

When she suddenly appeared on the school roof just in front of Kazuki's kneeling form, her face seemed to show a bit of amusement and satisfaction watching the blonde suffer.

"Heh, watching me in this pathetic state with such joy? I'm glad that sadistic personality of yours hasn't changed at all, Chronicle."

Chloe Chronicle stood there, now with her arms crossed.

"Please spare me from your tasteless sarcasm. I didn't come here for an idle chat."

She then produced a plastic bottle of what seemed like pills. She took out a single pill from it and tossed it to the blonde, still on his knees.

"This is from Tabane-sama. These should help maintain your compatibility with your IS core and help fight off the pain."

Kazuki caught it and threw it in his mouth and swallowed it immediately. He was surprised to find out the effect was immediate. Kazuki felt the pain ease and rapidly disappear from his head.

He stood up and wiped off a bit of sweat,

"I've got to give it to her. She makes some incredible stuff."

Chloe huffed,

"Of course. She's the genius, Shinonono Tabane-sama, that created the future."

Kazuki laughed,

"Heh, but in the end, it's still just Tabaco-"

The instant the word left his mouth, he felt something hard fall on his toes, and got a blunt force to his stomach. He was back on his knees in pain.

"T-Teme! Not just my foot, but you kicked my stomach with those heels?!"

Her expression darkened and revealed her scary black/golden pair of eyes,

"And I thought I told you many times not to call Tabane-sama by that name."

Kazuki pulled himself up and rubbed his abdomen painfully,

"Tch… But still, to think you'd be the one to come here."

Chloe cocked a brow and withdrew her hand that was holding the bottle of pills,

"Not satisfied with me… is what you want to say?"

Kazuki's expression changed into a sweet one and he threw an innocent eye-smile,  
"Ah…hahaha! I was just kidding! Thank you very much for the pills Chronicle-san! To think you'd come this far for me."

Chronicle snorted,

"Don't let it get to your head, fool. I only came because Tabane-sama had desperately requested me to do so. There's a limit to how self-centered you could be."

"What are you, a Tsundere? Don't go throwing those lines around casually. They don't fit you."

"I'll pull your tongue out, you disgusting imbecile."

Kazuki reeled back with a sweat drop.

 _'She's definitely the type to do what she says… I should be a little more careful…'_

He then opted to leave the roof,

"Anyways, send my thanks to her for the pills. I'm going to sleep."

For a second, Chloe stood there on the edge of the roof with a serious look.

"I see that you're having quite the time here in the Academy with all those girls, eh? 'Satoshi Kazuki'?"

Kazuki chuckled a little,

"Fun? They're such a handful."

Her expression didn't change,

"Do not forget why you're here, Satoshi Kazuki. You're not here to start a new life. Your life ended a long time ago. Your only reason to live is for Tabane-sama and her only."

Kazuki didn't laugh this time; he just stared at the roof door gravely for a long minute,

"I know."

With that, Kazuki left for his accommodation, and Chloe also disappeared with the wind and the darkness of the night.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The students of class 1 stared incredulously at the new transfer student standing in front of the class. There were many whispers and murmurs of disbelief. It was a transfer student everyone felt familiar with.

"U-Um, I'd like to introduce a transfer student to you…" Yamada also didn't seem to have expected the current situation and had a very complexed expression.

It was girl, with a short white uniform skirt, a long blonde hair tied together mid-way. She was a splitting image of Charles Dunois.

"I'm Charlotte Dunois. Nice to meet you all once again."

"Well, Dunois-kun actually turned out to be Dunois-san…" Yamada finished.

"…hah?" Houki couldn't believe what she was hearing. For a second, she thought it was a joke of bad taste, but no one was laughing.

Kazuki just sat there on his desk with wide eyes.

 _'No way… She just…'_

The amount of whispers and murmurs increased,

"Basically Dunois-kun is a girl?"

"I knew there was something strange about it!"

"So, he wasn't a beautiful boy, but a beautiful girl?"

"Wait, Satoshi-kun! You've been sharing the same room with her, so that means…"

"Wait a second! Didn't they open the large bath to the boys last night?!"

Ichika stood up in shock,

"Eh?! I didn't hear about this! I would have liked to take a nice bath too…"

"That's not the issue here!"

Kazuki massaged his temples and felt a vein bulge,

 _'Someday… I'm going to find out the one spreading these rumors and kill em.'_

He let out a red fiery aura of anger and burning determination. However, he noticed other auras emanating in front of him.

 _'Killing intent! It's coming from…'_

He saw a sinister aura of purple exploding out of Cecilia and Houki. Kazuki slightly reeled back and sweat dropped.

"Oh hohohoho… My, my, Satoshi-san… That's going to be a bit of a problem…"

"Heh… A bath in the middle of the night, alone with Dunois-SAN?"

Kazuki made an attempt to neutralize the situation,

"O-Oi, it's not like what you think happened. This is all a big misunderstanding."

Houki turned around with a red glint in her eyes, cracking her knuckles furiously,

"THEN, shall we hear EVERY detail of what happened yesterday?"

"T-That's…" Kazuki hesistated; what happened in the bath yesterday with Charlotte wasn't something he could talk about; not without revealing his secret.

Kazuki quickly turned to Charlotte, and the other girls also turned to her for answers.

Charlotte, noticing the intense stares from the three, looked away quickly and blushed.

"I-If it's inconvenient for Kazuki, then I don't mind forgetting w-what happened yesterday…"

Kazuki's jaws dropped to the floor comically and his face darkened in despair,

 _'Oi! Why are you blushing!? You're only making this more complicated with the way you put it!'_

There was a bright light, and Cecilia had deployed her Blue Tears in the middle of the classroom, which was a signal for all the students to scramble to the side of the room. Houki played with the sharp pencil in her hand, tossing it up and down casually.

Kazuki's face turned to a dark shade of purple, and stood up immediately from his desk.

"Y-You guys, calm down. Nothing really happened yesterday. We just saw each other naked, and nothing more happened."

His entourage face palmed dumbly in response to Kazuki's panicked response.

"DIE!"

Cecilia's sniper rifle fired, and Houki threw the sharp pencil with an incredible amount of force.

 _'These crazy wretches! I'm seriously going to die!'_

However, Kazuki was surprised to find himself unscathed and saw another IS unit standing in front of him on his desk. He was surrounded by an A.I.C field; he instantly recognized whose it was.

"Ohh! You!"

"Laura!" Houki and Cecilia clicked their tongues bitterly.

Laura deactivated her unit and crouched down on her knees. Kazuki heaved a sigh of relief,

"Wow, I have to say, your A.I.C field really is useful. I wish I had it too-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, his mouth was sealed by Laura's in a sudden kiss.

Kazuki's natural reaction was shock and bewilderment; his eyes widened like they have never before.

Houki's jaws fell onto the floor, and Cecilia's eyes were void of any life.

"K-K-K-Kiss?!" Houki couldn't formulate smarter words, and her sentences came out in abrupt stutters.

"Hah… hahahahahaha…" Cecilia then proceeded to laugh in a very disturbing manner. The class all shivered in fear at Cecilia's such sinister and malicious laughing.

"C-Cecilia-san, scary…"

Laura finally let the blonde boy go from the kiss and looked away with a shy blush. Kazuki's expression didn't change; he was still in shock.

"… ife…" Laura seemed to have muttered a word, but Kazuki didn't hear it.

"What?"

Laura looked directly into Kazuki's face with an annoyed look, but the blush was still there,

"I-I said I will make you my w-wife!"

Kazuki squinted his eyes in confusion,

"…huh?"

"It's been decided! I won't accept any objections!"

"HAH!?"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The sun was shining brightly through the blinds of Kazuki's room. Unlike any other days, Kazuki was sleeping for a bit longer. Finally, his eyes opened and he started the day with a less than a happy face.

 _'-sigh- For some reason, after what happened with that Chronicle look alike yesterday, it was hell on earth…'_

 **-Flashback-**

 _"Oi, Cecilia, can I burrow your eraser? I had to throw away the last one just the other day…"_

 _"Oh? Is that so? I guess there's no helping it…"_

 _Cecilia casually handed Kazuki an eraser,_

 _"Thanks."_

 _"No problem. But it's a shame that these don't erase the icky-ness and the sense of shamelessness of a person, don't you think, Satoshi-san?" Cecilia said, all while keeping the innocent smile on her face._

 _For some reason, Kazuki felt the malice behind her words,_

 _'I-Icky…? Satoshi-san? Oi, oi, I've become a complete stranger…'_

 _Lunch time…_

 _"Oi, Rin, can you pass me the salt?"_

 _The instant he said that, he was sprayed by a handful of salt._

 _"Woah! What are you doing?!"_

 _Rin's face showed casual curiosity,_

 _"Oh… So that thing about salt being able to ward off evil was wrong…"_

 _"Hah?!"_

 _Rin's face rose to a blissful smile,_

 _"It's nothing, here!"_

 _Her last word was extremely stressed, and as she said it, she slammed down a bottle of table salt in front of him._

 _After school…_

 _"Hey, Houki! You going back to your room? Let's go together!"_

 _Houki turned around with a very uncharacteristic smile,_

 _"Oh, if it isn't Satoshi-sempai! I was actually on my way to the Kendo club."_

 _Kazuki slightly flinched when he felt the cold tone hearing his last name with the 'sempai' honorific. But he maintained his expression._

 _"You know, you're always on about that Bushido thing… What is it exactly?"_

 _Houki's face lightened up to a pleasant surprise,_

 _"Heh? Satoshi-sempai's actually interested in the kendo culture?"_

 _"Well, I didn't really say-"_

 _Houki's smile brightened,_

 _"Why don't you come along to the session to today? I can show you."_

 _For some reason, his guts told him to run the hell out of there while he still could, but for once, he shook it off as him overthinking and followed Houki to her club._

 _…_

 _…only to come out with several bruises and steaming lumps on his head._

 _"I see… Bushido... I now understand why Japanese are so strong…"_

 _In the dorm room…_

 _Kazuki went ahead and took out a pill from his plastic med bottle that was given to him the other day. It was bitter; but at a tolerable extent._

 _Charlotte came out of the bathroom with her pajamas and looked at his pill bottle curiously,_

 _"Hey, I've seen you take that pill a couple times today; what is it?"_

 _Kazuki closed the lid and shoved it into the drawer,_

 _"It's just some vitamin pills. You know how I told you I can't get too much sunlight? I'm getting the vitamins I need from the sun from these pills."_

 _Charlotte hummed in understanding,_

 _"Hmm… Is it tasty?"_

 _"As if there's a pill that actually tastes nice! It's bitter as hell. But I need my vitamins so, I'm just putting up with it."_

 _Kazuki then noticed something,_

 _"You know, you're not acting like I thought you were going to."_

 _Charlotte tilted her head obliviously,_

 _"Act like what?"_

 _"-sigh- I had such a miserable day. Hear me out, the other guys didn't even want to talk to me; they didn't even want to call me by my name! I talked to Ichika about it, but he didn't seem to know about it either…" Kazuki talked over his hardship of his day, diving onto his bed in fatigue._

 _Charlotte hummed again,_

 _"Hmm… must've been a hard day."_

 _"You have no idea…"_

 _Suddenly, Charlotte beamed,_

 _"Oh yeah, Kazuki! I've been meaning to show you this super cool move."_

 _Kazuki smiled, glad that there was at least one individual who was willing to call him by his name,_

 _"Sure, go on, what is it?"_

 _"Have you ever heard of rapid switch?"_

 _Kazuki slightly squinted in confusion,_

 _"Isn't that your IS specialty? I heard you do it really quickly between different weapon types…"_

 _"That's right! Wow, you're really smart aren't you?"_

 _Out of the blue, Charlotte, deployed her unit, Revive._

 _"Woah, woah, woah! what, you're going to show it to me now?! In here?!"_

 _"Rapid switch!"_

 _Charlotte's hands were now holding a pair of submachine guns, and she aimed it directly at Kazuki._

 _"O-Oi, Charles?"_

 _"Hmmm? Who's that? My name's Charlotte." She said sweetly._

 _She was still smiling, but Kazuki could now see the dark shadows cover her eyes._

 _'C-Could it be…?'_

 _Kazuki gulped and mustered the courage to speak,_

 _"Charlotte-san…? Could it be that you're…"_

 _Then, the sound of heavy machine gun fire and a male's scream ensued._

 **-End of Flashback-**

Kazuki stretched his arms out and surveyed the state of his room. It was decorated with hundreds of bullet holes that could fit a thumb.

Kazuki shook his head to expel the horrible thoughts about the events that happened yesterday, and got up from his bed. Or he tried, but he felt a tug on his right arm under his blanket.

Kazuki raised the blanket slightly and looked down to see what it was. It was a girl with platinum hair, completely naked, using his arm as a body pillow.

"…"

Without a word, he dropped the blanket back on to his arm and slammed his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.

 _'Calm down, Satoshi Kazuki. An anime protagonist would scream and demand the girl to put on some clothes and say something cliché… This is the real world, if you want to solve this problem without any trouble…'_

Kazuki leaned down to her ears and whispered,

"Wake up! Wake up! It's time for school!"

Laura only grunted cutely,  
"Mm… Mnyah~"

"Hey, look, it's Matsumoto Jun doing free kisses over there!" **(A/N: Famous Japanese Idol)**

However, there was no reaction from the girl.

 _'I didn't expect her to be this stubborn… There's no choice, I'll have to use my trump card.'_

"Orimura Chifuyu's giving free hugs to early diligent students!"

Much to his expectation, Laura's expression melted into a blissful smug.

"Hehehehe… Instructor love love…"

But what he didn't expect was her arms to wrap around his back. Laura dug her face into Kazuki's shirt with that dreamy smug on her face. Her arms then began to tighten, much to Kazuki's despair,

"I-Impossible! She thinks I'm Chifuyu!"

Then he felt something slimy on his chest,

"Uwah! Teme! You're drooling- Uwaaaahh! Disgusting! Get off of me!"

Laura rubbed her face against his chest with a perverted smile,

"Uhehehehe… Instructor…"

"Heeeeek! Someone help me!"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a figure sitting up on the bed next to his. It was Charlotte, staring at the two with a gape.

From her perspective, it was a butt-naked girl on top of a boy on the bed. Enough said.

"Oh, you're awake, thank goodness. Quick! Help me get her off me."

A bright light, and Kazuki saw Charlotte's good old Revive. She then cocked her submachine guns.

"Ch-Charlotte-san…?"

Charlotte gave him a bright smile,

"What? Let me help you with that."

Kazuki sweat-dropped intensely,

"Y-You're helping to get her off me, right? Right?!"

The sound of heavy gun fire and a male's scream ensued in the IS academy student dorms.

"Hmph! We're going Laura!" Charlotte walked off, dragging a half asleep Laura out of the room.

Kazuki just lay there on his bed, surrounded by bullet holes literally inches away from his face.

"I thought I was going to die…"

He let out a tired sigh and poured himself a cup of water. He swallowed a pill and downed the cup of water quickly. He dug through his dresser for a fresh set of clothes.

"I'll make it up to Charlotte I guess… It's the weekends anyway…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki and Charlotte were sat together in a small maglev train, and were on their way to a nearby department store.

"Jeez… why do I always have to have a terrible start to the day…" Kazuki grumbled to himself.

Charlotte only scolded him,

"It's because you do things like what you did in the morning!"

"Like I said, that was just a misunderstanding…"

"Hmph, liar!"

Kazuki face palmed and decided not to pursue the matter any further.

Charlotte blushed and fidgeted,

"Say, why did you invite only me to go shopping?"

"Well, we have the school beach trip soon, and you said you didn't have a girl's swimsuit. Besides, I have something important to buy."

"Something important?"

Kazuki looked outside the window with a light smile,

"You see, it's almost Houki's birthday. It's on the 7th of July. I need to get a present for her."

For a second, Charlotte seemed impressed,

"Heh… I didn't think you were the type to be concerned about those kind of things…"

"When's your birthday, Charles?"

Charlotte crossed her arms in an annoyed fashion,

"Why do I need to tell you that? And it's Charlotte!"

Kazuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

"Ah, sorry, still trying to get used to it."

The train arrived at its destination. Charlotte stomped out of the train and walked in front of Kazuki.

"Oi, wait for me. Why are you so mad?"

She suddenly turned around with a stubborn blush,

"H-Here! I'll forgive you if you hold my hand!"

"What are you, a pre-schooler?" Kazuki grimaced.

"Hold-my-hand!" Charlotte's pout grew, much to Kazuki's frustration.

"Okay, okay!"

Kazuki grabbed her tender hand and led her through the department store.

Charlotte only looked down with a nervous flush, but deep down, she rejoiced.

However, from behind a nearby vending machine, two girls peeked out with darkness in their eyes.

"Say, Cecilia…"

"What is it, Rin-san…?"

"Aren't they holding hands…?"

"They are holding hands…"

Rin's face rose to a scary smile,

"I see, I thought I was seeing things, but that's how it is, huh…?"

A glint in her eyes; then in the next moment, her arms transformed into her IS arms with partial activation,

"Yosh! Let's kill him!"

"Oh? Seems like you're having fun."

Rin and Cecilia turned to see Laura, casually observing what they were doing.

"Laura-san!" Cecilia was slightly on guard ever since what happened last time.

"Don't be so guarded. I no longer intend to harm any of you."

Cecilia wasn't buying it,

"You expect us to believe that?"

Laura's expression remained neutral,

"I see."

Laura just happened to see Kazuki and Charlotte walking down the escalator and began making her way to them, but Rin and Cecilia stopped her hastily,

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Just what are your intentions?"

Laura just looked at them as if was the most obvious thing,

"It should be obvious. I'm going to join those two. That's all."

"B-Before battling an unknown number of foes, the priority is collecting information, isn't it?!" Rin argued with a bit of nervous blush.

"That's right! First we must follow them, and then determine the nature of their relationship!" Cecilia agreed strongly with a blush of her own.

Laura placed a hand on her chin thoughtfully,

"Mmm… you have a point…"

The three looked at each other with new found determination and nodded.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki noticed the occasional glances from Charlotte and decided to ask,

"You've looking at me a couple times… Is their something stuck to my face?"

"You know; don't you get self-conscious about the clothes you wear? I mean you're in your school uniform again."

Kazuki looked at her strangely,

"Yeah, but so are you…"

"That's not what I mean! I mean, you wear that pants and that black long sleeve when you sleep, during practical classes, and stuff. I've never seen you wear anything different."

Kazuki swatted his hands in a lazy fashion,

"It's fine as long as there's something covering my body."

However, Charlotte wasn't going to let that pass. She placed her hands on her hips and scolded,

"No it's not. Since we're out, I'm going to find you a set of good proper clothes!"

"Really, I'd rather not…"

But before he could protest any further, he was dragged against his will into a nearby shop.

Meanwhile, Rin, Cecilia, and Laura watched as Charlotte dragged annoyed Kazuki into a clothes store.

"They're both going into a clothing shop…" Laura concluded.

"That's obvious just by looking! But what for?" Rin whispered in frustration.

"C-Could it be… that this is a d-d-date?" Cecilia suggested in fear.

Rin shook her head firmly,

"Don't be stupid! He's definitely not the considerate type to ask you out on a date. Come on, we're going in!"

With that, the three followed the two into the clothing store.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

After a few hours, Charlotte came out with Kazuki with a bright, satisfied smile on her face, while Kazuki had a tired expression.

"See! Look how nice you look!"

Kazuki looked over his attire once again; he wore a pattern-less red sweater, with a pair of black pants. It seemed rather plain to Kazuki.

"I don't get what's so special about these… They feel more uncomfortable than the school uniforms…"

"But I was surprised, you actually look great in just about anything…"

"What?"

Charlotte noticed that she'd been talking during her daze and quickly turned around and changed subject.

"O-Okay! Let's get to the ground floor and take a look at the swimsuits!"

Charlotte walked off ahead, and Kazuki only followed with a tired frown.

Just behind them were Laura, Cecilia and Rin, all blushing while staring at Kazuki's attire.

"W-Wow… That's the first time I've seen him wear proper clothes…" Rin gulped.

"H-He certainly does look different than usual…" Blood was slightly drooling down from Cecilia's nose as she gawked at Kazuki.

Laura tried to look at the situation analytically, but not without having an inappropriate blush,

"S-So this is the legendary date event Clarissa had informed me of…"

"Nevermind that, we're losing sight of them! Let's go!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Kazuki and Charlotte reached ground floor and looked around, enjoying themselves on their way to the swimsuit store. Then, something caught Kazuki's attention.

"What's wrong, Kazuki?"

"Ah, do you want to go ahead for a bit? I'm going to buy something from that tea shop."

"Tea shop? Is that the place you're going to buy Houki's present?"

"Yeah. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Mmm… Okay then…"

Charlotte made her way towards the swimsuit store, and Kazuki made his way into the tea store.

He looked around for a certain type of tea,

"Hmmm… If I remember correctly..."

In the corner of the room, he saw a stack of boxes of tea with a poster that read, "Supreme Earl Grey."

Kazuki's face brightened when he saw the poster and quickly grabbed a box. He weighted the box in his hands and surveyed it carefully. It was a small cube that contained about a few dozen tea bags inside.

 _'I hope this is the one Houki likes.'_

He turned the box and saw a price tag.

 **7000 Yen** **(A/N: $70)**

Kazuki's face turned purple after looking at the cost. He gently set the box back where it was with a smile.

 _'Don't screw around with me! My yearly allowance is 50 000 Yen!'_

Kazuki stared down at the box of supreme earl grey like it was his eternal rival.

 _'B-But, I do owe her a box of that tea… Plus, it's her birthday… I can't think of other things to buy…'_

In the end, Kazuki left the store with a depressed look, one of his hands holding a very fancy bag with that box of tea he bought.

"Kazuki!"

He looked up to see Charlotte running towards him urgently.

"Oh… It's you, Charlotte…"

"Kazuki, come here for a bit! Quickly!"

Kazuki's mind was empty, and so was his wallet. A spec of tear could be seen in the corner of his eye. When he came to, he noticed that he was inside a small changing room alone with Charlotte.

"Huh…? Isn't this the changing room? What did you drag me in here for?"

"U-Um… I wanted you to see if the swimsuit I chose looks good."

"Sure, but I didn't have to come in here with you."

"Shhh!"

Charlotte slightly peeked out the curtain to see three familiar girls looking around as if they were searching for a convict.

"Arghh! Where did they disappear to?!"

"Don't tell me they noticed us following them!"

Charlotte closed the curtain.

 _'If they find us, they'll surely get in the way!'_

"What were you looking at, is someone outside?"

Charlotte quickly turned around with a smile,

"N-Nope! It's no one! But just stay in here! I'll change quickly!"

Kazuki didn't ask; he felt the conversation was going to drag on if he did. He also knew Charlotte wasn't going to answer him properly. He let out a sigh of defeat and turned around.

"Then, hurry up, I need to go back and get my pills."

In the middle of her changing, she looked up with an annoyed pout,

 _'Hmph… He's not even reacting. Not even a blush.'_

For a second Charlotte hesitated,

 _'Heck! What am I saying?! What do I do?'_

Charlotte then ripped her tie off and unbuttoned her shirt,

 _'Argh! Whatever, I'm doing it!'_

Kazuki stared into the wall of the changing room, slightly absorbed in thought,

 _'The effect from the pill this morning is wearing off… how inconvenient… I should carry small amounts around.'_

He felt a bit of sting coming from the back of his head and his mind flashed momentarily.

Kazuki grunted in pain,

 _'Crap… The symptoms are coming back…'_

By now, Charlotte finished putting her yellow skirt style bikini on, but she noticed Kazuki's low grunt.

"Kazuki? Are you okay? You're looking a little pale."

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Charlotte was slightly unsure, but she was more worried about how her swimsuit looked,

"Okay, you can look now. How do I look?"

She slightly looked down with a shy blush.

Kazuki turned to look at her and stated with a light grin,

"Mmm. It looks good on you."

Charlotte thought she was going to feel happy when she heard him say that, but for some reason, she thought it was weird.

"Now that's really weird…"

"What is?" Kazuki cocked a brow in confusion when he saw the suspicious look on her face.

"Normally, you'd be more like, 'I'm not going to say anything cliché.'"

Kazuki massaged the bridge of his nose incredulously,

"Fantastic… So that's how other people look at me..."

Charlotte waved her hand apologetically,

"No, no, no! That's not true! It's just…"

For a second, there was a sad look on her face,

"Kazuki seems different lately… At least different from when I transferred to this school."

Kazuki's expression hardened for a brief second, but he broke into a cheerful smile,

"What are you talking about? I'm still the same."

Charlotte looked up and felt slightly relieved to see a brighter expression on his face. She was caught by surprise when Kazuki gently placed a hand on her head,

"Thanks for worrying about me."

"I-I-I'm not worried about you! You stupid!" Charlotte's faced lit up in red, and did her best to avert eye contact.

Kazuki grinned, and then pointed out,

"You, know, I noticed this now, but your chests look much smaller when you have clothes on."

 **Slap**

"That hurts…"

"It was supposed to hurt." Charlotte turned around, covering herself, with a pout. But she smiled to herself in relief with a slight hue of red.

"Miss?" It was the voice of one of the employees.

Charlotte yelped and felt the colors drain from her face,

 _"W-What do we do?!"_

Kazuki saw the panicked look on her face and reassured her,

"Don't worry, I'll handle this."

From the other side of the curtain, Chifuyu recognized the male voice coming from the changing room in front of her.

"That voice just now… could it be…?"

She roughly pulled the curtain open to reveal a surprised Charlotte, but a rather calm Kazuki.

"S-S-Satoshi-kun, and D-Dunois-san?!" Yamada who was also shopping alongside Chifuyu couldn't hide the shocked blush on her face.

"What are you doing?" Chifuyu demanded in a slightly annoyed tone.

From the outward appearance, Kazuki seemed reposed, calm, and collected, but his mind was swimming,

 _'C-Chifuyu… She's the last person I was expecting…'_

Kazuki mentally shook his head,

 _'No, calm yourself, Satoshi Kazuki. At times exactly like these, you need to pour everything into your survival. It's a hit and run situation.'_

Chifuyu crossed her arms impatiently,

"Satoshi. I asked you a question."

"The truth is…" Kazuki began.

Chifuyu cocked a brow curiously, wondering what excuse he would make.

"I was waiting to ambush anyone coming in here to change."

Yamada and the clerk reeled back with a blush,

"A-A-Ambush?!"

Kazuki brushed his front hair to the side majestically,

"Fufufu, that's right. I have many names. Soldier of love is one of them."

For a second, Chifuyu had a neutral expression, something told Kazuki that she was not impressed.

Charlotte face palmed with an embarrassed blush.

Chifuyu turned to the clerk,

"We don't know this man. Call the police."

"Oi!" Kazuki retorted comically.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

In the meanwhile, Houki was relaxing in her room. In her hand, she held her mobile phone firmly, her finger hovering over the call button in hesitation.

She took a deep breath and exhaled. She pressed call.

There was some weird dial music playing, but after a few seconds, a bright voice answered,

 **"Howdy howdy, right-n-rowdy! Hai, this is everyone's favorite idol, Shinonono Tabane!"**

A large tick mark appeared on Houki's head and she made a move to hang up.

 **"Wait, wait! Don't hang up on me, Houki-chan!"**

Houki twitched in frustration,

"Nee-san…"

 **"Hello there, my dear sister! Yes, yes! I know what this is about! You want one don't you? A personal unit!"**

Houki's eyes widened in surprise. This was supposed to be somewhat expected from Shinonono Tabane, but it was too specific.

 **"Of course, I've got one ready. It's over spec, with high-end capabilities that stand toe-to-toe with Byakushiki. Its name is… Akatsubaki!"**

It seemed as if Tabane wasn't able to hold back the excitement from her voice.

Houki stopped her for a second,

"W-Wait a second, nee-san, how did you know I wanted a personal unit?"

 **"Hmm? Kazu-chan told me of course."** Tabane's tone suggested as if it was an obvious thing for Houki to know.

"Kazu-chan?"

 **"Ah-reh? Didn't Kazu-chan tell you?"**

"Tell me what? Who's Kazu-chan?"

Then it came to Houki,

 _'Kazu-chan…? C-Could it possibly be… no… there's no way…'_

 **"Who…? Kazuki-chan. Who else would it be?"**

Houki's eyes widened at the shocking revelation,

"Nee-san, you know Kazuki?"

 **"Know Kazu-chan? I was the one who sent Kazu-chan to the IS academy."**

"What?!" Houki yelled incredulously.

 _'Just what the hell is going on?! Kazuki's an acquaintance of nee-san… And she was the one who sent Kazuki to the IS academy? For what purpose? Just what is she planning?'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Now listen! Even if you are classmates, a line must be drawn! A boy and a girl entering the changing room together is not acceptable! I understand what you're feeling with the beach excursion coming up, but you have to keep a firm rein on those emotions in public!"

Kazuki and Charlotte were standing outside the changing room with Yamada strictly scolding them.

Chifuyu sighed,

"-sigh- it's because you're like that, you don't have a girlfriend, Satoshi."

Kazuki turned slightly and muttered,

"Tch… I don't want to hear that from an unmarried oba-san…"

He was rewarded a strong right straight to his abdomen for his comment. Kazuki collapsed onto his knees and groaned in pain.

Chifuyu raised her fist, a large tick mark on her forehead,

"For your information, I'm still in my early 20s."

"I-I'm s-sorry… I got ahead of myself…"

"As long as you understand."

Meanwhile, Cecilia and Rin were peeking in from behind a stand of swimsuits, watching the whole farce.

"What is he doing…"

"Who knows…"

Laura was busy making phone calls about the suitable swimsuit.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

 **Next day…**

The salty air of the sea breeze swept through the beach warmly; the sun was out, and the sky was sterile of clouds; a perfect day out for a swim.

"It's 11:00 now! You're free until night time! But make sure to be back to the guest house in time for dinner! Okay?" Yamada yelled out towards her students from the shore.

"Hai!"

"Orimu, Orimu! Let's go play volleyball!" Honne was wearing an animal costume; it was yellow and had a white front, similar to Pikachu. **(A/N: If you don't know what this is, take a time machine and re-live your life)**

Ichika nodded; some nice sports on the beach sounded attractive,

"Oh, nice, where?"

Suddenly, something jumped up on him from behind,

"Woah! Who's that sitting on my shoulders!"

"Wow, wow! It's so high up here." Rin looked out into the distance casually, enjoying the beach scenery.

"What are you doing? You a cat or something? Get off already!"

The other girls only watched in envy.

Honne jumped,

"Oh, that looks like fun! I wanna try!"

In matter of seconds, Ichika was surrounded by a mob of excited girls. Ichika's face turned purple and quickly pointed his finger to a direction opposite of him.

"W-Wait! K-Kazuki's taller than me, so you'll have a much better view! Look he's right there with Orimura-sensei!"

Meanwhile, Kazuki was sat on a large mat under a parasol with a bored look.

"Whose bright idea was it to make this a beach excursion, for crying out loud."

"Mine. You have a problem with that?"

Kazuki heard soft footsteps just behind him and saw Chifuyu with her swimsuit under a white hoodie.

Kazuki smiled innocently,

"Eyah, eyah~! I was just thinking how brilliantly thought out excursion this is! I love it so much!"

A fist came down onto Kazuki's head, and a steaming lump popped out.

"…"

Chifuyu sighed in annoyance,

"It's not like these excursions are free. We're paying for your damn excursions; at least pretend you're enjoying it."

Her eyes trailed down and checked Kazuki's attire. It was the exact same stuff as he wore at school. White uniform pants, white school blazer, and a black long sleeve underneath. His blazer was unbuttoned and he only had it on him over the shoulders.

"If you're talking about my clothes, these are my swimming clothes. I have one for casual, sleeping, and a night out. Of course they're all school uniforms."

Kazuki then casually took out a small plastic bottle, and shook out a few pills.

Chifuyu noticing the pills probed,

"Pills? What are they for? They better not be drugs."

Kazuki squinted incredulously,

"As if! It says in the documents, right? I'm weak under the sun. So I need these vitamin pills."

However, Chifuyu saw right through his words,

"I see that you're lying, Satoshi. And it doesn't look like you're going to tell me the truth either."

Kazuki flinched and sweat dropped comically.

Chifuyu closed her eyes and waved a hand lazily as she walked off,

"-sigh- well, whatever. Just don't cause too much trouble. I don't want anything troublesome."

 _'Are you really an instructor with that attitude?'_

Kazuki shoved the thought out of the way and swallowed the pills. He laid down on his back to sleep, but he felt a bit of vibration from the ground.

 _'An earthquake?'_

He sat upright to see, and he thanked himself for the fact that he did because he saw a mob of girls running at him. Rin was also in that mob.

"H-Huh? Are they running towards… me?"

All colors drained from his body and he screeched like a girl,

"Heeeeek!"

He quickly got up and tried to make a run for it, but a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

"Where do you think you're going mister!" Rin took no time to climb up onto him and once again looked at the view from on top of Kazuki.

"Ahhh! Huang-san! No cheating! You already went on Orimura-kun!"

"Angg! Me too! Me too!"

"Me next! Me next!"

"No me!"

In a matter of seconds, Kazuki's peace was utterly shattered by these mob of girls.

"Oi, Rin, what's the big idea?!"

Rin ignored and watched the scenery in awe,

"Wow, Ichika was right, I can see so much more from up here!"

"What?! Ichika, teme!"

Ichika suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose with a ticklish face.

Kazuki's entourage became a field of battle. Like a game of king of the hills, the girls were all trying to get to Kazuki.

This was his chance. Rin suddenly felt a sudden thrust as Kazuki began dashing way with her still on top.

"H-Hey! I'm gonna fall! Slow down!"

"Don't worry, I'll tell your parents that your sacrifice was not in vain!" Kazuki said solemnly.

A tick mark appeared on Rin's forehead,

"Oi! Seriously I'm gonna fall!"

She grabbed a hand full of Kazuki's blonde's hair with both her hands and pulled up with all her might.

"Uwah! Ou! Ouch! Don't pull on my hair, you midget!"

"Hah?!" Rin pulled even harder, eliciting a water fall of tears to fall from Kazuki's eyes comically.

 _'Why does this always happen to me …'_

"W-What are you two doing?!"

An angry voice stopped both of them in their tracks. Thankfully, Rin stopped pulling.

"Cecilia…" Kazuki found a bit of hope when he saw the fellow blonde friend.

Rin smirked confidently,

"Isn't it obvious? I'm playing 'moving lookout tower'."

Kazuki's eyes slightly twitched in annoyance.

Cecilia forced a smile,

"Kazuki-san, have you already forgotten the promise you made to me on the bus?"

She then angrily stabbed the parasol she was holding into the sand and laid out a mat for her to lay down on.

She lay down on her stomach and unwrapped the knot of her blue bikini top. She put a coconut oil bottle down next to her and waited in anticipation,

"Now then, Kazuki-san, if you please…"

Rin jumped off and placed her hands on her hips in annoyance,

"What do you think YOU'RE making him do?!"

Cecilia smiled victoriously,

"As you can see, he is to rub suntan oil on me."

Kazuki grunted,

 _'I did say that I would do it… But this is a little…'_

As if Cecilia noticed Kazuki's reluctance, she added,

"It wouldn't do for a gentleman to renege on a promise he's made to a lady!"

Kazuki shook his head and decided firmly,

"Fine! I'll get it over and done with."

He poured some oil onto his left hand and clenched his fist to warm his hand up, but it wasn't working.

 _'Oh right… My hands are cold… That's probably because…'_

Kazuki shook his head violently. It wasn't the time to dwell on things like that, he thought.

He carefully placed his oily hand onto Cecilia's back, which elicited a short yelp.

"K-Kazuki-san, please warm your hands a little before applying the oil…"

Kazuki only clenched his teeth and continued,

"Put up with it a little bit! You'll get used to it soon."

After a few seconds, the Honne's trio could hear Cecilia's light pleasant moaning. They couldn't help but blush slightly,

"That looks like it feels good…"

"My heart is starting to pound just by watching…"

"Cecilia, lend me that oil, when you're done!"

Kazuki wiped a bit of cold sweat off his forehead,

"Phew, I did your back. That's enough, right?"

He tried to stand up, but Cecilia grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"N-No, while you're at it, please do all the areas I cannot reach. Like, my legs, and… my rear…"

Kazuki's eyes were shadowed by his front hair for a second. Then his eyes were filled with fire of determination,

"Don't underestimate me, Alcott! Don't think for a second that I'd falter under-"

Before he could finish his grand statement, he was kicked in the face and pushed to the side by Rin.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it for ya!"

Rin proceeded to tickle Cecilia all over the body, but also properly applying oil to her legs, feet and etc… But Cecilia was unprepared for her Bikini bottom to be pulled up slightly to have Rin apply oil there directly.

"Kyah! Rin-san! That's enough!" Cecilia sat upright, and failed to notice that she had her bikini top off.

The girls all jumped in surprise, and it even startled Rin.

Cecilia's faced flushed red and quickly covered herself. She turned towards Kazuki, who had his eyes closed in a gravely manner.

…

"K-Kazuki-san… D-Did you see it…?" She asked cautiously.

Kazuki admitted,

"…thank you…"

Kazuki's face was met with Cecilia's IS fist via partial activation.

"Kazuki! So this is where you've been."

Kazuki sat up with a bloody nose,

 _'Not again…'_

Charlotte and a girl completely wrapped up with towels were there in front of him when he woke up from his initial daze.

"Who's that mummy?"

"Come on, show him! It'll be alright." Charlotte encouraged her. There were two things Kazuki noticed, the mummy had silver twin tails and an eye patch.

Kazuki sweatdropped as he realized who it was,

 _'Wait, is that…?'_

"I-I will decide whether it's all right!" her voice was muffled, but Kazuki could tell right away it was Laura.

Charlotte leaned into her ears and whispered,

"You've already changed into your swimsuit, so now you have to show it to him."

"W-Wait! I must prepare myself as well…"

"Hoh? In that case, Kazuki and I'll go out alone into the sea… Is that okay?"

"Y-You can't!"

Without a moment of extra hesitation, Laura threw off her towels to show a very revealing set of black bikini.

Laura tried her best to cover herself up,

"If you wish to laugh, then laugh!"

"There's nothing strange about it! Right, Kazuki?"

Kazuki scratched his head lazily,

"Well, you should take pride in it. It does look expensive."

Charlotte then elbowed Kazuki's side with an annoyed face,

"Isn't there something else, Kazuki?"

"Yeah, yeah, real cute… the cutest in the world…" he said lazily, much to Charlotte's frustration.

"What is with that reaction…" Charlotte complained.

"Oh! I'm c-c-cute?"

"Eh?" Both Kazuki and Charlotte gave her a confused look.

Laura didn't have a clue, but she seemed to be happy with Kazuki's comment. She rubbed her fingers shyly,

"That's the first time I've been called that…hehe."

Suddenly, Kazuki's hand fell heavily on Laura's shoulders,

"Sorry… That wasn't sincere…"

For a second, Laura frowned sadly, but then, she saw tears drooling out of Kazuki's eyes comically,

"What I meant was, it's adorable!"

"A-A-A-Adorable?!" Laura's face steamed up and collapsed.

"Hmph!" Charlotte let out a huff of dissatisfaction.

"What are you all puffy for all of a sudden?" Kazuki furrowed his brow.

"You didn't have to go that far…"

"You told me to say she's cute, and now you're telling me not to? Which is it?!"

Charlotte stuck her tongue out,

"Bleh! Lolicon Kazuki!"

The words felt like boulders, and his composure faltered at the word.

"L-Lolicon…?"

"Hey, Orimura-kun, Satoshi-kun! Let's play volleyball!"

Charlotte's face suddenly brightened,

"Oh, looks like they're going to be playing volleyball! Sounds fun! Let's go, Kazuki!"

"No, I think I'll-"

 **Punch**

Kazuki's face was a mixture of annoyance and defeat. He was forcibly dragged off by Charlotte with a steaming lump on his head.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Hours quickly went by as the students played volleyball for the most of the day. The teachers also came in through the middle of the game to join in. For some reason, the ball always managed to end up in Kazuki's face when ever he played against Chifuyu, much to his chagrin.

By the time everyone got tired, the sun was already about to fall. The sky was dyed orange and the reflection of the clouds and the sun could be seen on the clean blue surface of the sea.

On the other side of where everyone was, Houki stood up on a tall cliff and looked out into the sea with a troubled expression.

"So, this is where you've been."

Houki turned to see Chifuyu with her usual stern look.

"Orimura-sensei…"

Chifuyu noticed Houki's troubled expression immediately,

"You seem distracted. Are you worried about something?"

"Well…" Houki looked away, her eyes starting to waver.

"Is it about Kazuki?"

"…"

Chifuyu noticed the prolonged silence from the younger girl and sighed,

"I see…"

She walked up to her and handed her a mobile phone.

"Sensei…? This is?"

Chifuyu gave her a light reassuring smile,

"It has the fool's number in it. Do what you feel has to be done. I expect you to return it to me in one piece."

With that, she walked off, leaving Houki by herself.

She scrolled through the contacts list and found Satoshi Kazuki. She stared at the name for a long minute. Her sister's words flashed into her head,

 ** _"Know Kazu-chan? I was the one who sent Kazu-chan to the IS academy."_**

When she remembered that, she didn't take any more time to hesitate. She dialled the number.

 **"Hello? Orimura-sensei?"**

It was the same deep, yet laid-back voice of Kazuki.

"Kazuki… It's me."

 **"Houki...? What are you doing with her phone?"**

"That's not important… I need to talk to you. Now."

 **"Right now? Can't it be tomorrow?"**

"No. It has to be now."

 **"Well… Alright then. I have something for you too actually. I bet you'll be really surprised!"**

Houki smiled slightly,

"I see… I'll be waiting then."

Kazuki shoved the phone in his pocket with a slightly excited expression.

 _'This damn earl grey tea better be worth the money and effort.'_

He took out the packaged tea box from his pocket to make sure there were no damaged done to it.

It was clean and shaped as it was before he bought it. He shoved the box back into his pocket and walked off into the distance.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki was sat curled up by the edge of the cliff, waiting for Kazuki to arrive. Just as she was thinking about him, she heard footsteps behind her.

"So this is where you were this whole time. I was worried you know?" It was Kazuki. His tone was as always, relaxed and friendly.

He noticed that she was still in her swimming suit; it was a pretty white bikini.

"You're gonna catch a cold at this rate. Come on, let's go back to where everyone is."

"Worried about me, huh?"

Kazuki was confused when Houki repeated after him, but didn't think too much of it. Houki then stood up and turned around.

"Tell me, Kazuki. Where were you before you came to the IS academy?"

Kazuki mentally flinched; he couldn't help but widen his eyes; he was caught completely off-guard.

"What's this all of a sudden? I was at my parent's house, of course."

Houki's expression was serious, and Kazuki could tell, that she was in no mood for jokes.

"Were you really?"

"Y-Yeah. What's wrong, Houki? You seem a little different today."

Houki closed her eyes,

"You're lying."

Kazuki has never felt so much tension and nervousness in his life. He knew Houki was onto something. But he didn't know what Houki knew.

"Houki…"

Her eyes opened and stared directly into Kazuki's with firm resolve,

"Kazuki. Tell me the truth. I want you to tell me everything. For what reason did you come to the IS academy?"

"Hey, Houki, let's not talk about that! Here I have something that you might like!"

"Don't change the subject!"

He tried to take out the tea box from his pocket, but he froze when Houki raised her voice. Not having much choice, he put the tea back into his pocket and tried to approach her,

"Listen, Houki-"

"Don't come near me!"

This time, she yelled, and Kazuki's eyes widened in shock. He stopped immediately in his track.

"Answer the question! Why did you come to the academy?" Houki demanded again.

The next few minutes felt like an eternity for both of them.

But finally, Kazuki smiled weakly,

"Looks like you found out… I guess I can't lie to you anymore."


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: This one's going to be long, so I'll apologize in advance. But these are some clarifications and acknowledgements about the story that might help you understand what's going on. Anyways, exams have finished, and I'll be busy packing and stuff.**

 **Before I say anything else, I must say, I had so much fun reading the recent reviews. I love the criticisms especially, thank you and well done for pointing them out. I take criticisms very well, so keep 'em coming. And I want to reassure readers that I write this because I thoroughly enjoy it. The readers' support definitely do help, but I won't abandon writing this story just because I have a small amount of follows, favs, reviews.**

 **Here's some general reply to your beautiful reviews:**

 **I read over the prologue, and yes, there was a bit of a redundancy with "The boy" and all that. And a very interesting argument about how you can't tell if it's happiness just by looking, but by feeling it within yourself. I don't know if I interpreted your words properly, but I was really impressed.**

 **And I feel exactly the same with your perspective of fanfics with heavy OC emphasis. I've seen pretty bad ones myself and I'm trying my best to steer off of some of the major pitfalls for an OC story writing. But I'm definitely bound to fall in one of those or may already have (I'm not perfect!).**

 **As of right now, yes, it looks like Rin has a crush on the OC under absolutely no basis. I agree with that but that's cleared up in this chapter so make sure you all read carefully.**

 **Kazuki's AI, Takane Enemoto, in the beginning was just there because I needed a mental image of how the AI was going to look like, so I just picked her, and dropped her quickly because i'll be honest, I was too lazy to implement her character throughout the whole fanfic.**

 **With Houki, there might be a little bit of a misunderstanding. Unlike Rin, she did have a reason to start developing feelings for the OC, and she did have moments where she wonders if she really does like Kazuki or Ichika. Instead of tossing Ichika aside, she's having trouble deciding what to do.**

 **I'll agree that there is teenage angst and all that nonsense going on in this fanfic, but I wouldn't say it's as cringy as Sasuke with his quest of revenge and etc... Mine has a little more depth (Hope I didn't piss off any Sasuke fans).**

 **And I did say that this story will finish soon, but I'll rephrase. This SEASON is about to finish. Never said that I won't be writing the second season. Maybe there will be a second season to this story; maybe there won't be one.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

"Looks like you found out… I guess I can't lie to you anymore."

Kazuki looked past Houki to see the color of the horizon slowly dye to a light shade of purple. He closed his eyes and smiled peacefully,

"That troublemaker… I thought I told her to keep her mouth shut…"

Judging by Kazuki's tone, Houki could tell that him and her sister were rather close.

"How do you know my sister?"

Kazuki raised his head and looked at Houki seriously, "Your sister, Tabane… I owe her a lot… for what she did…"

Houki crossed her arms and continued to listen attentively.

"To be more specific, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here right now."

"That's because nee-san sent you here! But why?" Houki pushed impatiently.

"To protect you."

Houki paused. She saw the sincere look in Kazuki's eyes and could tell that he wasn't lying.

Kazuki began pacing around his spot slowly,

"I heared you and Tabane were having a bit of a quarrel. You hated her for splitting you and Ichika apart, am I wrong?"

"That's…"

Kazuki continued,

"For years, you were forced to live alone, away from your friends and family thanks to Tabane."

Houki grabbed her arm and looked down grimly,

"Are you telling me that she sent you out of pity…? Because she was guilty?"

"No." Houki noticed Kazuki raise his voice slightly.

"It's because she loves you so much; she can't leave you alone. Tabane's worried about her one and only baby sister. Isn't that obvious to you?"

Houki's eyes widened. There was no sense of unsureness in his tone. But she still had her doubts,

"W-What do you know about my sister?"

Kazuki's expression hardened,

"I know… Too well… Tell me Houki… Have you ever seen her smile when she's playing around with her stupid inventions? Have you ever seen her smile when she cleans a plate of stir fry? Have you ever seen her smile when she reads a news article about a person she deeply cares for?"

Kazuki paused; it seemed unbearable for him to say it.

"Tell me, Houki, have you ever seen the smile on her face when she talks about a person she loves?"

"…" Houki was at a loss for words. She had never seen Kazuki like this. He was a clown; a person she could never take very seriously. He did have his serious moments, but not to this extent.

"I've seen it too many times… The empty smile that's always yearning for someone she loves… someone she misses… No matter how hard you try to fill that emptiness in her heart, she'll just smile at you as if nothing's wrong because she doesn't want to make other people worried, that idiot."

Kazuki looked up to see the clear night sky sadly,

"… I was sick of it. So I came here to the IS academy to keep on eye on you and Ichika in her place."

Tense silence ensued between the two as chilly evening wind blew on the cliff they were on.

"I see…" Houki began.

"So, all this time, you were deceiving us all? Pretending to be all friendly, but you were just spying on us."

Kazuki tried to deny her accusation, but she cut him off.

"All the things you said to Ichika, Cecilia, Rin, Charles, Laura, and me… All the things we did together as friends, were they all just a lie too? Because you felt indebt to my sister?!"

Houki's voice shook in sadness and rage; she was nearly on the verge of tears.

"That's not-"

 ** _"…do not forget why you're here, Satoshi Kazuki. You're not here to start a new life. Your life ended a long time ago…"_**

Kazuki then remembered what Chloe Chronicle had said to him before and shut his eye in mental angst.

"That's not what?!" she yelled.

Kazuki looked away,

"That's not something to be surpised about, is it?"

"W-What are you saying?"

"If I didn't have to, I wouldn't be wasting my time babysitting a bunch of weak kids." He finished coldly.

She barely held back her tears from falling,

"Kazuki, what am I to you?"

As if the blonde had expected the question to be thrown at him, he remained unaffected. Kazuki had closed his eyes and remained silent; Houki saw that he had no intention of answering the question.

"Did you fall in love with her, my sister? Is that why?" her voice shook a little near the end, but she maintained her expression.

Kazuki had not expected that kind of question from her, and took a moment to think, but eventually,

"That's none of your concern."

Houki felt her heart sink; this was not the person she once knew. She couldn't take it anymore. All the pent up stress and anger were getting the better of her,

"You're the worst! I hope you disappear and never come back! You monster!"

The word echoed in Kazuki's head,

 **"Monster."**

Houki ran straight past him, tears trailing behind her as she ran, but Kazuki didn't stop her; he didn't look back, nor did Houki.

 _'It's better this way…'_ He told himself.

It was now dark, and the only thing that accompanied and consoled Kazuki at that moment was the bright moon, kindly lighting the beautiful scenery of the ocean in front of him.

He thought he was going to enjoy the silence alone for a while longer, but that wasn't the case when he heard calm footsteps behind him.

"-sigh- Was that the only way to do it, Satoshi?"

It was Chifuyu. It seemed as if she stayed around to listen to the whole conversation between him and Houki after handing Houki her phone.

"Eavesdropping? Aberrant sexual propensity is distasteful, Orimura-sensei." Kazuki let out a playful smile, but Chifuyu knew it was forced just by looking at him.

"Don't get all smart with me, brat. I'm here to take my phone back."

Kazuki looked towards the direction Houki ran off to,

"She's already gone. Probably back to the guest room."

The blonde turned his attention back to the stunning view of the ocean with the reflection of the moon.

"It's such a beautiful sight, isn't it? Just makes you want to forget everything…"

Chifuyu wasn't responding. She just remained where she was and only kept on listening to Kazuki.

"Sometimes, I think about running away from all this... and imagine how much easier things would be…"

Chifuyu didn't like one bit where he was going.

"Orimura-sensei, I think I'll withdraw from the IS academy tomorrow… I'll leave all the withdrawal process to you."

"What about Shinonono? Weren't you indebt to Tabane?" Chifuyu's tone was neutral.

"Of course I haven't forgotten about that. But I don't necessarily have to be in the academy to do that."

"…" Kazuki didn't notice the slight twitch of Chifuyu's brows, and so, he continued,

"At this rate, I'll just end up hurting more people, and I've had enough of it."

"Oi."

Kazuki turned around when Chifuyu called out to him. His eyes widened when he felt an unexpected blunt force to his face. Chifuyu's punch sent Kazuki to the ground, and had made a small gash on his lips.

The punch was much stronger than any other punches he felt in his life. Kazuki grunted and felt his head spin. Chifuyu pulled him up by his shirt collar and spoke in a dangerous tone,

"Since when did you become such a wimpy little kid?"

"W-What?" he grunted in pain, one of his eyes staring directly into her hazel eyes.

"You're so afraid to look Shinonono in the face that now you want to just run away and hide? How pathetic."

Chifuyu didn't give him a break,

"Satoshi, you said everything you wanted to say to your friends, and now you want to pull back?! There's a limit to how conceited you can be."

Kazuki slowly closed his eyes in shame.

Chifuyu paused,

"No. You're not Satoshi Kazuki. He's not a weak scumbag like you. Who are you?"

"I'm…" Chifuyu saw his blue eyes waver in hesitation.

"The Satoshi I know is the kind of idiot that gets the job done, no matter what it takes! Even if his body becomes a tattered mess; even if he's mentally suffering, he always pulls through with that idiotic smile on his face!" She finished, her grip on Kazuki slightly weakening.

…

She was surprised when Kazuki pushed her hand away roughly,

"Stop spouting nonsense. I am Satoshi Kazuki."

Chifuyu then saw the determined look on his face. It was definitely the face of the person she knew.

Chifuyu smirked,

"Hmph, for a second, I took you for an imposter."

"I'm glad, because I thought you were going to kill me there for a second." Kazuki chuckled.

"Anyway, I'm heading back to the guest house. Make sure you're back before the curfew. Is that understood?" Chifuyu began walking off, waving her hand lazily.

"Yeah, yeah, the curfew; just need to be in my room by then…" he also responded lazily.

Kazuki watched silently as Chifuyu slowly walked away to the direction of the guest house, and then called out,

"Sensei!"

Chifuyu stopped, but kept her back to him.

"Thank you. I've come to my senses."

After hearing that, she continued on her way, and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

A sudden wind blew past the cliff, and Kazuki only greeted it welcomingly with a peaceful smile. He took out the packaged tea box from his pocket and held it tightly.

 _'I made my resolve.'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was dinner time, and approximately 40 girls were gathered in one dining room; it was separated into two sections; one section being the traditional Japanese dining table and the other being the normal tables with seats.

Kazuki was sat on one of the traditional Japanese dining tables where he sat on his knees whilst enjoying a course of Japanese washoku. He took a slice of raw fish from his plate of sashimi, put a little bit of wasabi and dipped it in soy sauce,

"Mmm… This wasabi is the real deal."

Charlotte watched curiously, sitting quietly on the seat right next to Kazuki,

"Wasabi?"

Charlotte saw the clump of green paste on the corner of her plate. She picked the whole clump up with her chopsticks and tried to put the whole thing in her mouth, but luckily for her, Kazuki stopped her mid-way,

"You… don't want to do that…"

"Why?"

Kazuki took another slice of raw fish into his mouth,

"Let's just say you won't enjoy the experience very much."

Charlotte only looked at him in confusion.

Kazuki's chopsticks hovered over the various types of raw fish, but he put his chopsticks down and sighed in defeat.

"Look, the way you eat sashimi is by putting a tiny bit of wasabi on the raw fish and dipping it in soy sauce, here."

Kazuki grabbed Charlotte's chopsticks and did as he explained. He held the raw fish out in front of her impatiently.

"Here. Before any soy sauce starts to drip."

Charlotte blushed in hesitation for a second, but quickly took the raw fish into her mouth.

"Mmm! That's so good! I've never had anything like this before!"

He let out a satisfied grin,

"It's good isn't it? I live for this stuff."

Suddenly, he heard an uncomfortable moaning from another girl sitting on his other side. It was Cecilia who seemed to be having trouble seating on her knees for a prolonged time.

Kazuki sweat dropped,

"You know, if you can't sit kneeling, you can always move to the tables…"

Cecilia forced a smile,

"I-I'm perfectly fine!"

She slightly turned her head,

"Compared to the effort it took to secure this seat, this is nothing!"

Kazuki looked at her dumbly,

"What are you doing talking to yourself?"

"U-Uh, it's nothing! Nothing at all!"

Kazuki furrowed his brows strangely, but happily went back to his plate of sashimi. This time, he took a thick slab of raw tuna.

"Kyah~ That's the stuff!"

Kazuki finally noticed the occasional glances and uncomfortable fidgeting from Cecilia.

"Cecilia, if it's giving you too much trouble, do you want me to feed you?"

The blonde girl's face brightened and stars could be seen gleaming in her eyes,

"R-Really? Will y-you really feed me, Kazuki-san?!"

Kazuki slightly reeled back cautiously,

"Y-Yeah… I mean, I did it for Char-"

Charlotte immediately jumped on him and covered his mouth in panic,

"K-Kazuki!"

"S-Sorry" he whispered.

Thankfully, Cecilia didn't seem to have noticed as she was too busy fantasizing.

"Well, it would be a shame to let this food go to waste!" Cecilia literally shoved her pair of chopsticks into Kazuki's hands.

"All right, I'll start with the sashimi…"

"Okay! Ah, but please use a little bit of wasabi."

Kazuki did as he was told and picked up a slice of tuna,

"Here, anghhh."

"Anghhh~"

All of the girls around them wined in envy and jealousy,

"Hey! Cecilia, no fair!"

"She's having Satoshi-kun feed her!"

"Cecilia, you cheater!"

"It's not fair!"

On the opposite side, Ichika was also dealing with girls desperately trying to get him to feed them.

"Orimura-kun feed me!"

"Ehh?!"

"No! Feed me!"

"Don't try to get ahead of us!"

Houki was sitting with Rin on the other corner of the room, watching all this farce with a sweat drop.

"What is wrong with all these girls…" Rin trailed off, taking a sip out of her hotpot.

"Who knows… This academy's been a gathering of a lot of weird girls…" Houki added, sighing in exasperation.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kazuki's sheepish smile directed at the other girls.

 _'I guess that smile is also just an outward appearance…'_ Houki thought sadly.

The dining room was now even more rowdy than it was before with complaints and wining from the girls.

The sliding door to the dining room slammed opened with an annoyed Chifuyu in her sleeping yukata.

"Can't you all eat your food in silence?!"

The whole room froze,

"O-Orimura-sensei…"

Chifuyu turned to Ichika and Kazuki with a glare,

"Orimura, Satoshi! Stop causing a racket! It's such a hassle to calm things down!"

"Hai…" Ichika obeyed.

"Sorry…" Kazuki apologized sheepishly.

Chifuyu took one last glare at the two boys before shutting the door.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief the instant she was gone.

Kazuki gave Cecilia her chopsticks back,

"Well, there you have it. Sorry, but you'll have to do it yourself."

The blonde girl gave him an annoyed pout.

"Don't look at me like that! You heard that demon teacher!"

Cecilia looked away with a short puff, and Kazuki only sighed with a dumbfounded grin on his face.

He was just about finished with his dish of sashimi, and now was on his merry way to the hotpot. Kazuki rubbed his hands together happily,

"Now this is the moment I've been waiting for. Nothing beats a hotpot filled with goodness on a summer evening."

With the spoon inches away from his mouth, Kazuki noticed a few girls leaving the dining room after finishing their food.

"Well, they finished pretty quickly, didn't they?"

Kazuki shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to get a mouthful of hotpot. But he was unimpressed to see his spoon and all its contents plop down into the hotpot when a hand grabbed his arm.

"Hey Kazuki, come with me, I need to ask you a favour." Rin said with a serious look.

The blonde boy tilted his head up very slowly with a ghastly look.

"I'm gonna haunt you 'till your death bed, kora~"

 **Crash**

With a steaming lump on his head, he was dragged out of the room by the clothes collar.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The crickets were chirping peacefully outside, and little specs of green light can be seen as fireflies danced around.

Kazuki crossed his arms in an annoyed fashion.

"You really are an annoying one aren't you… Just as you transferred into the academy, you've been going around looking to challenge me…"

…

Rin was just standing very stiff; it seemed like she was thinking about something.

"Do… you have something to say? I wasn't kidding. I'm really going to haunt-"

"Go out with me." Rin said finally.

From his usually nonchalant and laid-back expression, Kazuki's face solidified and frowned.

The silence between them intensified and the tension in the air was strong enough to break a twig.

Kazuki sighed,

"-sigh- What happened? Did your friends dare you to ask?"

Rin glared at him in frustration,

"Will you take this more seriously?!"

The blonde just stood silently in muse; like Rin was doing a minute ago, he was making some decisions.

"Rin."

Rin slightly flinched at Kazuki's sudden change in tone. She was surprised to see that he really was taking her seriously.

"Do you really have the resolve?"

She was slightly confused by Kazuki's question,

"Have the resolve? O-Of course I do! That's why I just asked!"

Kazuki stared a hole into her emerald eyes,

"If you so wish, I am ready to love you with every ounce of my existence."

Rin blushed furiously and yelped at his sudden statement. But she saw the complete genuine look in his face.

"But I'm not the one that can make you truly happy…" he paused for a second,

"…because I'm not the one you like."

Rin's eyes widened in denial,

"N-No… What are you saying? The one I like is…"

Kazuki shook his head,

"Lying to yourself isn't going to help you. Face it, Rin, the one you should be asking is Ichika."

"Hah?! You're still saying those kind of nonsense? I told you-"

She pushed him roughly and threw a couple of weak punches at him with a blush, but then she saw the smile on his face,

"You're also a textbook tsundere. You're such a bad liar."

Her blush intensified,

"Y-You're wrong, I-I-I don't like that dense idiot…"

…

"Uwahh! I don't even know anymore!" Rin fell on her knees and she buried her face in her hand in embarrassment.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Respect and admiration is often confused with love. And when the people around you act like that, you tend to do the same. It's called mob mentality."

"Act like that…? You mean… You knew? All this time?! Like with, Cecilia? Charlotte and Houki?"

Kazuki didn't answer, but only gave her a quiet sheepish smile.

Rin facepalmed at her own denseness,

"I thought you were as dense as Ichika… But looks like I had the wrong image…"

A sudden breeze swept past them, and it made her think,

"You know… when I saw you in that video of you fighting against Cecilia and Ichika, I said to myself, 'just who is this IS pilot?'."

She stared into her hands thoughtfully,

"The moves, the speed, and the power. It was just so incredible to me…"

Rin continued,

"And by the time I noticed, I was always asking you to a challenge, and ended up getting my butt served on a silver platter…" She let out a light chuckle.

Her expression fell into a sad smile,

"I started thinking, 'I want to be like him… Unmatched, powerful, and charismatic.' I remember, when Laura went out of control, I couldn't do anything but watch… Because I was so weak, Ichika and Houki had to go through all that… I couldn't protect him…"

…

"So I decided… That I'd never lose to anyone ever again!" she finished with firm resolve.

Kazuki took a seat on one of the stone monuments shaped like a lantern,

"I always wondered why you were so clingy since day 1, but now, I feel like I understand you a little better. To be honest, I'm envious."

"Of me? Why would you be envious of me? You're so strong!" Rin tilted her head perplexedly.

He shook his head with a light smile,

"I'm not strong… Way I see it, Rin, you're a million times stronger than I am. All I've been doing is running… from others, and myself…"

There was a flash of melancholy in the blonde's expression, but Rin didn't notice it.

Then suddenly, he felt a light punch to his shoulder and saw Rin with a grin,

"What are you saying? Throwing cool lines that side characters would say! It's so lame and cliché! Do you have 8th grade syndrome or something?" she chuckled.

Kazuki's eyes widened for a quick moment before he grabbed his chin with his hand as if he was posing,

"That's right… I may be weak now, but one day, my dark powers sleeping deep inside me will awaken and-"

"Puahaha! You're the real deal! Hahaha! That's so uncool!"

Kazuki couldn't help but let out a smile. He closed his eyes,

"What are you saying? I'm the cool, distant protagonist of this story."

Rin slapped his back, making no effort to suppress her laughter,

"What are you saying? You're anything but those!"

Rin exhaled and calmed herself down,

"Ugh… My stomach hurts from laughing too hard."

She quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off of her pants,

"Anyway, we should go back before Chifuyu-san realizes we're missing."

"Yeah, I don't want to even start thinking about what she'll make me do…" Kazuki's face paled and shivered at the thought.

Rin suddenly then turned around and gave Kazuki a peace sign with a toothy grin,

"And hey, thanks Kazuki. For everything."

Kazuki simply shook her off jokingly,

"Yeah, yeah, and this is where the heroine falls in love with the protagonist, and blah, blah, blah, happy ending; end of season."

"Like I will, pervert!"

"I'm not a pervert!"

…

"I'm a professional pervert."

...

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

It was well past midnight; and for some reason, Ichika and Kazuki had snuck outside the compound out into a large grass opening. Both had there IS units deployed and were exchanging a few strikes from their weapons.

Ichika pushed Kazuki back with a heave,

"Phew! You know Kazuki, is it just me? Or are the training sessions becoming much harder recently...?"

Kazuki slid his tungsten claws against each other impatiently,

"Well, we can't just stick to the same thing over and over again can we?"

Lyka rushed forward with his arms back, much to Ichika's surprise. Using his momentum, Kazuki did a sharp uppercut with his claw extended, the edge of the blade just barely grazing against Ichika's chest.

"Woah! Careful there! I wasn't ready for that!"

"Your enemies won't wait for you Ichika! Focus!"

Kazuki materialized a rail gun on his back and fired as he backstepped smoothly, and the projectile hit the unsuspecting boy, creating a small explosion.

"Kuaah!"

Ichika was thrown back from the impact and tumbled onto the floor with a painful yell.

"Ouch… That actually got through the shield…" he stared up at the clear starry sky with a tired sigh. Ichika deactivated his unit and lazed around on his back.

"Hey! We still have an hour to go. Get your butt off the floor!" Kazuki scolded, retracting and extending his claws provocatively.

"It's already been around 2 hours! Let's stop here for today! I'm sooo tired!" he pleaded much to Kazuki's dissatisfaction. But the blonde shrugged with a sigh of defeat.

"-sigh- and you think I'm lazy? I heard you told Charlotte a lot of things while I was away, you little bugger."

"Hehehe. Did she tell you? My bad, my bad."

Kazuki deactivated his unit and walked up to Ichika to give him a hand. Ichika accepted it gratefully and got up on his feet.

"But I can't help but notice… Why are you in such a rush to train me? We used to do it more slow-pace, but it feels like you're really desperate." Ichika wondered curiously.

"Really? I'm not really feeling different. I just thought I might change the training session a little bit. That's all."

Ichika remembered,

"You know, why do you insist on training me that much? I mean, I'm really grateful, but I'm surprised that you're really taking this seriously."

"Like I said before, I can't be around all the time to protect you guys. It's also important that you can protect yourselves and your friends on your own."

"Did you say that before? I don't remember you saying that to any of us…"

Kazuki mentally slapped himself,

 _'Oops. I told Chifuyu that when he was sleeping, didn't I?'_

"Well, whatever. You know what I mean, right?"

"Mmm… Yeah."

Kazuki nodded in satisfaction.

"Kazuki…"

"What's up?"

Ichika then slightly bowed apologetically,

"I'm sorry about what I said that day. When Houki got injured after Laura went out of control. I ended up punching you too…"

 **-Flashback-**

 _"Stop messing around already."_

 _…_

 _"Just how long are you planning to rely on me to protect you and your friends?"_

 _"I-I'm not…"_

 _"To be honest, Ichika, when I met you, I looked up to you; I respected you for such a strong determination and passion. But now, I don't see that anymore."_

 _…_

 _"You're going back to the government already? But you just got here…"_

 _"Aren't you at least going to say something to Houki before you leave? She's your roommate."_

 _"She's alive; that's more than enough."_

 _"W-Wha-"_

 _"Kazuki, teme, what did you just say?!"_

 _"I'm saying, I don't need to be here wasting time-"_

 ** _Punch_**

 _"How the hell can you say something so harsh, Kazuki? Isn't Houki an important friend? Why the hell are you treating her like a stranger?! Do you not care about her at all?!"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Kazuki smiled,

"Don't apologize… it's wasted on someone like me. I was just being a jerk. I should be the one saying sorry."

Kazuki bowed back at Ichika, which startled him for a second.

"No, no! You said all those things to not make us worried right? I know for a fact that you're really worried for Houki's safety and her well-being-"

"You're wrong, Ichika. I told you this before… but I'm not the kind of guy you think I am…" Kazuki clenched down on his teeth as he said the words in self inflicted disgust.

Ichika encouraged brightly,

"I think you're wrong though. You always say that you're not a nice guy, but you just put on a front most of the time."

Much to Ichika's confusion, Kazuki facepalmed,

"-sigh- why are you so observant when it comes to me and not the other girls…?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing…"

Suddenly, Ichika noticed a small wrapped up box flying towards him and caught it in his hands.

"Huh? What is this?"

Kazuki turned around with his back to Ichika,

"Give that to Houki tomorrow. You know what day it is tomorrow? Well, today to be more precise. It's past midnight."

"No, what day is it?"

"7th, you dimwit! July the damn 7th!" Kazuki wanted to throw Ichika off a cliff for a second for his denseness, but he kept it in.

"Ohhh! It's Houki's birthday!"

The blonde shook his head incredulously.

"Anyway, just make sure you don't damage it. It was hella expensive."

Ichika looked at him in confusion,

"But why are you giving this to me? You can give it to her yourself, can't you?"

Kazuki kept his back to him, and stared out into the night horizon,

"Knowing you, you don't have a present for her, do you?"

"Ah…"

"Yeah that's what I thought."

Ichika scratched his head sheepishly with an embarrassed blush.

"Plus, she'll be happy to get it from you directly…"

"Why?"

"Just… Trust me. She will be. Now go take a shower and sleep. You're filthy!"

Ichika only continued staring at him in confusion, but eventually turned towards the compound,

"Well, whatever, I'll see you tomorrow. But aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, might as well. I'm feeling pretty tired-"

 **Ring Ring**

Kazuki's phone rang, much to Kazuki's frustration.

A tick mark appeared on Kazuki's forehead,

"Who's the crazy bastard calling at this time of the day?!"

He flipped his phone open to see who it was, and then, his expression changed slightly.

"You coming, Kazuki?" Ichika didn't notice the serious look in the blonde's face.

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Again, Ichika only gave him confused looks, but made his way back to the compound.

 **Ring Ring**

"Yes? This is Satoshi Kazuki, do you need something from me?" he answered.

 **"We have a code red, and it concerns the security of the whole country. The head of the IS academy have already been informed. We would like you to review the data we have sent to your mobile device and work with the IS pilots in the academy on this issue. More information will be provided by the academy personnel later today."**

"I understand…"

 **Beep**

Kazuki sighed tiringly,

"Never a moment to relax, huh?"

He surfed through his inbox and found the chunk of data in the attached file. He skimmed through most of the detail, mumbling as he read through pages and pages of notes and intel.

"Silver Gospel… an unmanned 3rd generation IS prototype of the US and Israel… They sure are rich enough to play around with these kind of stuff…"

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the words became distorted. Kazuki pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the pain and shove it aside, but it was proving difficult to fight it off. He took his mini bottle of pills and saw that there weren't too many left. He swallowed everything that was left, and expected his pain to flow away like a river, but to his shock, it wasn't going away.

"W-What?!"

This time a sharp pain attacked the back of his head and he quickly fell on his knees. He could hear the high pitch ringing in his ears. It wasn't enough. He violently shook the bottle for more, but no more was coming out.

 _'Tch! My body's already developed such a strong resistance to the thing…'_

"K…Kuaahh!" He grabbed his head in unbearable pain, and once again, images were flashing by in his head. He could also hear voices,

 **"… never trust…"**

 **"… om! Look! I got an A…"**

 **"…why did you do this to me…"**

 **"…andoned you! Do you not see kid?! They ditc…"**

 **"…'ll never go back to your normal life…"**

The pain was driving Kazuki insane. He could taste the blood in his mouth and was starting to feel extremely cold. He was dying.

 _'Is this the end for me…? With so much loose ends…?'_

Amidst the cloud of pain, he punched the ground with all his might and scowled,

"Don't screw around with me! Like I'm going to die like a dog! A shitty place like this isn't going to fit my gravestone!"

He reached out for the air in front of him and clenched his hand into a fist,

 _'I made a resolve! I made a promise!'_

Eventually, his arm dropped down onto the grass with a thud, and he lay there motionless.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

 _I just wanted to live a normal life. Get along with other kids of my age, and live with my parents forever. Was it too much to ask for? Was I too ahead of myself?_

 _…_

 _"Mom? I'm home!"_

 _The house was rather quiet and there was an ominous feeling in the atmosphere._

 _The little boy heard some voices coming from the kitchen. He happily trotted to the kitchen with a sheet of paper in his hand._

 _"Mom! Look! I got an A on my spelling test!"_

 _He opened the door with a bright expectant smile on his face, but he noticed that his father was also with his mother. There were also several men in black suits that he didn't recognize. They all stared at him through their sunglasses, the reflection of a small blonde boy on their glasses._

 _"Ah-reh? You're here too dad? Did you finish work early today? Can we play ball then?!"_

 _They didn't say a word. They just had a weird expression on their faces which the boy couldn't understand._

 _"Say… Who are these Ossans, dad? Are they your friends?"_

 _Again no answer._

 _One of the suited men spoke,_

 _"As I was saying… We have confirmed your consent, and the full payment to your bank account will be in by tomorrow. Thank you very much for your co-operation."_

 _The boy only stood there listening to the conversation obliviously,_

 _"Mom, dad, what does 'consent' mean? They're scaring me..."_

 _Once again, they didn't answer; they even refused to glance in his direction,_

 _"Mom, dad, you're scaring me… Say something! Mom, dad!"_

 _But as soon as the words left his mouth, one of the men grabbed him and began pulling him away._

 _"Hey! That hurts! Dad! Who are these Ossans! Aren't they your friends?!"_

 _His father showed no hint of concern and began looking through a pile of documents._

 _"Mom! Help me! I'm scared! Where are they taking me!?_

 _No response._

 _The little boy began bawling and begged,_

 _"Mom! Dad! Please! I'm sorry! I'll never act selfish again! I'll never play games and I'll be a good boy and listen to whatever you say! Please don't let them take me!"_

 _The piece of paper labelled with a large 'A' fell onto the floor, and the men left shoe prints on it without a care._

 _His vision of his parents began getting farther and farther,_

 _"Mom! Dad! Mom! Dad!"_

 _…_

 _I just wanted things to be as it was… I didn't ask for any of this…_

 _Why? Why did this have to happen to me? Why did they lie to me? Why… was I born?_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

The sun was just rising, and Kazuki just knelt there on the grass, unmoving, tears falling down his eyes freely as he stared up into the empty sky.

"I see… So… I was never really loved from the beginning…"


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: As always, I would like to thank you all for your reviews, favs and follows. May not mean much to you, but to me, every little support helps and they matter. The next chapter will be the last of this season, so hope you're ready for that.**

 **I don't really have anything much to say today, so...**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

Ichika yawned and stretched out his arms in bliss,

"What a good sleep after an intense training session."

He massaged his muscles and groaned, but he stretched it out nicely while watching the sun rise over a small island in the sea horizon.

He was walking on a wooden porch just next to the Japanese style garden, and he noticed Houki staring at something sticking out of the ground.

"Hey, Houki what are you doing? Ichika walked over to her and saw a mechanical bunny ear sticking out of the earth with a sign that read,

 **Please Pull!**

He sweatdropped,

"Say, could this be…"

"Don't know, don't ask…"

Houki seemed mildly annoyed and completely ignored the sign like she had nothing to do with it. She walked away, leaving Ichika to hesitate,

"Oi, is it really okay to just leave it?"

But Houki was already out of sight.

"Mmmm…"

Cecilia happened to notice Ichika just standing outside staring down at something on the ground,

"What are you doing? Is there something on the ground?"

She noticed the sign and the bunny ears. She only looked at them in confusion.

"Just sort of…" Ichika proceeded to do what the sign says and pulled hard on the ears.

He fell back after the pair of ears popped out of the ground.

"Oh my, are you okay?"

Before Cecilia could help Ichika up, they heard a strange sound.

"Hmm? What's that noise?"

Both looked up to see something round and orange falling down straight towards them at high speed.

They both stood there dumbly for a second, but when they woke up from their daze, they quickly ran off to the side.

 **Crash**

The impact created a small crator on the garden ground, and Ichika noticed that it was a large metal carrot that had landed in front of him.

"C-Carrot?" Cecilia sweat dropped incredulously.

Then, unexpected to them, the carrot container split open in half, and some smoke spewed out followed by a childish laughter.

"Nyahahahahahahaha! You fell for it, huh, I-kun! Yay yay!"

For a few good second, Ichika stared at the older purple haired girl with a look of astonishment, but snapped right out of it,

"I-It's been a while, Tabane-san…"

"Long time, no see! Mmhmm! It's really been a while!"

Tabane looked around with an eye smile in search of someone,

"So, I-kun, where's Houki-chan?"

"U-Uh…"

Tabane then took out another pair of bunny ears that shifted left and right like some kind of detector,

"Well, I'll find her soon if use this Houki Tracking device I invented! Okay, I-kun, see ya later!"

With that, Tabane turned around and ran off, leaving a confused Ichika and Cecilia.

"I-Ichika-san… who was that just now?"

"Shinonono Tabane-san, Houki's older sister."

"Eh?!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Just a few hundred meters away from the compound, the girls gathered around on a flat rocky terrain near a natural mountain forest. The sound of seagulls was suppressed by the modest sized water fall on a rocky cliff.

"All right, everyone with personal units are here." Chifuyu finished the last head count on Charlotte.

Ichika raised a hand.

"What is it, Orimura?" Chifuyu was not at all impressed about being interrupted.

"Umm… Kazuki's not… here…" Ichika almost shrunk into a ball saying those words under Chifuyu's threatening pressure.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen him since last night during dinner…" Laura pondered curiously.

"I'm sure he'll bounce around soon enough. He's just like that." Charlotte shook it off with a smile.

Chifuyu facepalmed,

"-sigh- late… again, huh? The fool never learns. Whatever, we will go with the schedule as planned without him."

Rin interrupted politely,

"But sensei, Houki doesn't have her own unit, does she?"

Houki slightly looked down slightly in concern,

"Well…"

Chifuyu saw the troubled look on the girl's face,

"I will explain. The truth is…"

"Yaaaaaaaaahooooooo~"

A painfully familiar voice of a childish girl.

Tabane was sliding down a steep rocky cliff and jumped high up into the air and projected herself straight towards the raven-haired instructor.

"Chi-chan~"

Houki, who was standing just next to Chifuyu, ducked away for cover, while Chifuyu calmly grabbed Tabane's forehead by the palm of her hand and kept her at an arm's distance.

"Yah, yah, I missed, you, Chi-chan! Come! Let's hug hug, confirm our love…"

"Shut up, Tabane."

Ichika and the other girls watched the ridiculous farce fold out in front of them.

Tabane quickly slipped away from Chifuyu's iron claws and went over to Houki,

"tadaa~ Hey there!"

Houki was ducked behind a bit of rocks, trying to hide herself, and when Tabane found her, she greeted awkwardly.

"…Hello"

Tabane squealed excitedly,

"Eeeheehee! Been a while, huh? How many years has it been since I saw you? You've really grown, Houki-chan!"

She was making some crazy hand gestures like a perverted old man,

"Especially your breasts-"

 **Thud**

Tabane was sent flying with a bloody nose as Houki didn't hesitate to hit her with her wooden sword.

"I will hit you!"

"You say that after you hit me? How cruel, Houki-chan! Right, I-kun? It's cruel, right?"

Ichika couldn't really keep up with Tabane's hyperactivity,

"H-Hah…"

Chifuyu sighed,

"Oi, Tabane, at least introduce yourself."

"Eh? What a pain…"

The purple haired scientist did a 180 twirl cutely and smiled brightly with her hands on either side of her face.

"I'm Tabane the genius, hello! Finished!"

"Tabane?"

"The brilliant scientist who invented the IS?"

"Shinonono Tabane?"

Perhaps the girls were expecting someone much more spectacular, or more fitting of their own image of who the inventor of the IS was. But they all seemed shell shocked that a young, hyperactive nutjob like Tabane would be the one.

Suddenly, Tabane's eyes flashed confidently,

"Fufuu! Now then! Look, up in the sky!"

She pointed upward and the others followed the direction of her finger and saw a large diamond shaped silver container fall right in front of them with a crash.

"Tadaa!"

Tabane proceeded and pressed a button she produced from her cleavage, and the silver container dematerialized to reveal a brand new red IS unit under it.

"This is Houki's personal unit, the Akatsubaki! All its specs are way above the current IS, and it was hand made by me! After all, it's a fourth-generation IS created by Tabane the genius!"

The entourage gaped in awe,

"A fourth-generation…"

"But other countries have only just made third generation prototypes!"

"Yet she's already…"

Tabane shook her hands nonchalantly,

"Because I'm Tabane the genius!"

She pressed another button, and the Akatsubaki cockpit opened up,

"Well, Houki-chan, let's get started with fitting and personalization!"

Houki slowly walked up to her personal IS with wide eyes of amazement,

"So this is my personal unit… Akatsubaki…"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

 **After Testing Akatsubaki…**

Houki looked at herself in the IS unit with a determined grin,

 _'_ _It can do it! The Akatsubaki can do it! With this… I can fight alongside everyone!'_

"Orimura-sensei!"

The group was suddenly interrupted by a flustered Yamada, running towards them with a small tablet in her hands, her face full of worry.

"-pant- please, -pant- look at this…"

The green haired teacher handed Chifuyu the tablet and the screen was flashing,

 **Emergency Situation**

Chifuyu took it and calmly looked over the data and details,

"It's a priority mission, level A. Countermeasures have already begun too…"

She quickly turned to her students and her commander-like demeanor was back,

"Testing is cancelled! There's something I want you all to do."

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

When the group arrived at the compound, they went through a series of doors to enter another room set up with desks, computers and hologram projectors as if it was a make shift command center.

There were other workers monitoring the current weather, the radio transmissions from the government, and all other sorts of data. In the middle of the rather small room, there was the familiar blonde youth, Kazuki, with a young woman in a suit analyzing some of the data projected onto a wall.

"Kazuki?" Charlotte was surprised to find that Kazuki was with the gutsy government woman from before, but so were the other girls as well as Ichika.

He gave them his usual laid-back smile,

"Oh, you guys. Did Yamada-sensei inform you guys about the situation?"

The woman next to him turned around with an amused smirk, her sunglasses were the trademark of her character it seemed.

"My, my, took you long enough… I thought that Japan would just be left to sink in flames."

Of course, Chifuyu wasn't impressed that the government woman was here with them.

"What are you doing here?"

She raised her sunglasses,

"Worry not, former IS champion, I am only here to report back any progress of the mission to the government and keep them informed. I have no interest in working with you all in anyway."

"Don't worry, it's not like a weak little girl like you are going to be of much help anyways." Chifuyu added bitingly.

"Little girl? I think someone needs to have a look in the mirror."

Kazuki rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief,

"Girls, girls, you're both hideous monsters. Can we get on with the mission now?"

 **Punch Punch**

The girls sweatdropped when Kazuki was planted onto a nearby wall, leaving a human shaped crater.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"Two hours ago, the Silver gospel, a third-gen IS prototype developed by America and Israel, broke free and began running rampant during test maneuvers in the sea off Hawaii. Word has come that it's disappeared from the observation area."

Chifuyu was briefing out details like she usually would as the commander-like reputation she has.

"According to our information, it was an unmanned IS." She added.

"Unmanned…" Ichika trailed off ponderously.

Chifuyu nodded,

"Now, satellite tracking says the Gospel will be passing through the airspace 2km from here. The time is fifty minutes from now."

The raven-haired woman placed a hand on her forehead in frustration,

"I don't know why, but a message from the Academy's top staff says that we will be handling this situation."

Kazuki rubbed his bandaged nose in annoyance; regardless, he listened in on the briefing seriously.

She continued,

"We teachers will man the training units and lock down both air and sea space, and someone will have to intercept Silver Gospel before it reaches the shore."

Chifuyu turned to the students,

"Thus, this operation will be handled mainly by those with personal units."

"H-Hai?!" Ichika was startled for a second and things were happening to fast too soon.

Laura explained calmly,

"In other words, we will stop that out-of-control IS with our own hands."

"For real?!"

"Quit getting surprised at every single thing!" Rin chided.

Chifuyu continued once again,

"We will now begin our mission meeting. Anyone with an opinion or query, raise your hand."

Cecilia immediately did,

"Hai! I would like specs and data on the target IS."

She nodded,

"Mmm, but reveal this to no one. If this information is leaked, you'll be tried in a court of inquiry and placed under surveillance for at least two years."

"I understand."

The hologram projection showed a bunch of tabs filled with private and secretive details about the IS unit, Silver Gospel.

Cecilia read most of it off as they flashed past the screen,

"A special artillery type designed for widespread target annihilation… Like my IS, it seems capable of attacks in all ranges."

Rin placed her hand on her chin thoughtfully,

"A unit with advanced attack and maneuverability, huh? This is going to be tough…"

Charlotte stared at the specs gravely,  
"This specialized weaponry looks a little suspicious, huh? I think continuous defense will be difficult."

Laura looked for some possible tactical solutions,

"Can't we do some preliminary recon? I believe if we can get some of its battle data…"

Chifuyu shook her head,

"I'm afraid that's not an option."

She turned towards the screen and showed the map with the position of the Silver Gospel flying towards Japan at a terrifying speed.

"…the unit is currently moving at supersonic speed… Approach will be one time only."

Yamada turned from her computer screen in the corner of the room,

"Just one chance. Then that means only a unit with single shot kill capabilities could hit it."

Everyone looked at Ichika, but he was nodding cluelessly to himself.

"Mmmhmm… wait, me?!"

"Yeah, we get it with your Reiraku Byakuya!" Rin said firmly.

Cecilia agreed,

"It seems it's the only thing that could do it. But the problem is…"

"…how to get Ichika that far… It will be tough unless he uses all his energy to attack, so how does he get there?" Charlotte answered with another question. This was getting too complicated for poor Ichika; his mind was swimming.

"No… Without an IS with enough speed to catch up to the target to start with, it won't do…" Laura finished.

Ichika quickly raised his hands in a flustered manner,

"H-Hold on a minute! I'm going?!"

"Of course!" Everyone said in unison, much to Ichika's chagrin.

"But I'm… I'm just going to drag everyone back… what about Kazuki? He's so much stronger than me."

Kazuki sighed,  
"As much as I'd like to help you guys out…"

But Chifuyu answered for Kazuki,  
"…he won't be participating in this raid."

"Huh?! Why?"

Rin explained logically,  
"Yeah, his unit can turn invisible and move fast, but…"

"When the enemy IS has a massive area of effect attack of all ranges, then, they're rendered ineffective." Houki finished for Rin.

Charlotte sighed in annoyance,  
"The match up is just too risky and unfavorable to Kazuki…"

"Plus, his shield capacity is only 100… It's just too dangerous." Laura added.

Ichika couldn't say anything; they were all right. He was the only one who could do it.

Kazuki stood up and gave him a proud grin,  
"Well, there you have it, Ichika… Everyone has their own strength. I can do things you can't. But you can do things I can't. So don't think like you're going to hold anyone back. Just be yourself. Now go and kick some butt."

"Kazuki…" He could see the look in the blonde's eyes. It was the same. The time Ichika himself spent just watching. The frustration he felt while watching other people get hurt without him being able to do anything for them.

Chifuyu made a single clap,  
"All right, to address the issue of carrying Ichika to the target; Laura, your unit is the highest upgraded 3rd generation model out of all of us here. Satoshi will be overseeing the operation with me from here and will be on standby the whole time."

Houki suddenly raised her hand,  
"Orimura-sensei, what about me?"

Chifuyu turned to her with a serious look,  
"You've only just got your IS unit. It's too risky to let you fight without any prior training with it."

"But sensei, you saw how Akatsubaki performed! We can definitely do this with Akatsubaki."

Chifuyu silently stared at her in thought.

 **Thud**

Suddenly, everyone in the room stared up when something made a small noise on the hollow ceiling.

Kazuki cocked an eyebrow,  
"Is there a large rat up there or something?"

Before he could react, one of the square tiles of the ceiling directly above him broke and a girl dropped straight down onto his back.

"Kuhekk!"

Kazuki was then crushed in a tight bear hug.

"Kazu-chan! Kazu-chan! Kazu-chan!"

It was Tabane, burying the poor blonde's face into her own chest, effectively suffocating him in between her cleavage.

"Ta…Tabaco…"

The girls all watched with a deep blush on their faces.

"W-Wait! Kazuki, you know her?!"

"M-More like, they're close enough to do those kinds of things!"

"To think he knows the genius creator of the IS… I expect no less from my future wife!"

Charlotte, Cecilia, and Laura didn't realize that the two were getting dangerously close, so the three girls jumped on the purple haired girl.

"H-H-Hey! W-What do you think y-you're doing!"

"My word! Stop this shameless act at once!"

"Impossible! To think that Clarissa was right! Death by boobs! It exists!"

The three girls tried to pull her away from Kazuki, but Tabane was stuck to Kazuki like super glue.

"I missed you sooooo much Kazu-chan! Now, give onee-chan a kiss, chewww…"

The looks of panic in the three girls' face were priceless. They pulled even harder with all their strength, but it didn't seem like it was doing much.

When he came to, Kazuki quickly saw the incoming lips of the purple haired girl. His waist was wrapped around by Tabane's thighs and her arms were literally hooked under his. She was in a position where Kazuki could never escape.

His reaction was instantaneous, his face flushed red, and he quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away. Or at least he tried.

"T-Teme! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Cheewwww…" She didn't listen.

Him pushing against her shoulder helped, but her lips were still approaching him very slowly. He reeled his head back,

"I-I thought there was something weird going on with you since that last phone call! Just What the hell happened?!"

Charlotte grunted, trying to tear Tabane off of Kazuki,  
"Get. Off. Of. Him!"

Suddenly, Tabane felt herself float in the air and her arms slipped out of Kazuki's arms. She looked up to see Chifuyu with a rather complicated expression. She was holding the purple haired girl by the back of the shirt collar.

"Yah, Chi-chan!"

"Don't 'Yah' me. Get off of him. You're interrupting the meeting."

Tabane raised a hand up to her mouth and teased,  
"Now then, I think Chi-chan is a little jel-"

 **Punch**

Everyone sweatdropped when they saw Tabane being planted onto the wall just right next to the Kazuki-shaped crater.

Kazuki dusted himself off in relief,  
"I-I'm saved…"

"Chi-chan, Chi-chan!"

Before anyone noticed, Tabane had already pulled herself out of her own crater and jumped onto Kazuki's back like a monkey. He gave up. He didn't do anything. He just hoped she wouldn't try anything crazy.

"Chi-chan! I have a better plan now printing in my head!"

Chifuyu massaged the bridge of her nose in metal fatigue,  
"Get out."

"Listen, listen! I'd say now is the time Houki-chan's Akatsubaki shines!"

Chifuyu stared down at her pile of documents in muse,  
"Akatsubaki, huh…"

"It may not be as fast as Kazu-chan's Lyka, but it can travel at top speed of almost mach 1." Tabane made a peace sign with her fingers and smirked proudly.

Laura tapped the palm of her hand in understanding,  
"That's it! We'll have Akatsubaki carry Ichika to the scene. That will be much quicker."

Charlotte brightened,  
"Ohh! That's a good idea!"

Chifuyu nodded decisively,  
"Yosh, then everyone start heading out. Shinonono and Orimura will arrive at the scene earlier, so all you two need to do is buy some time until Alcott, Huang, Bodewig and Dunois get there."

"Understood." Houki and Ichika replied firmly.

 _'_ _I have to make this work! I'm the only one who can do a one-shot kill.'_ Ichika clenched his fist powerfully, firmly gathering his resolve.

However, Kazuki stood silently in the corner, watching Ichika and the girls prepare for the raid. He looked a lot more worried than usual,

 _'_ _I hope this feeling of unease is just my imagination…'_

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Ichika step out onto the brightly lit shore with the other girls, preparing to take off.

"11:30… It's time."

They all deployed their respective units, Byakushiki, Akatsubaki, Blue Tears, Shenlong, Revive, and Schwarzer Regen.

"Now then… We will be going ahead." Laura said as she took off.

Rin gave Ichika and Houki a cheeky warning,  
"Don't you two do anything strange while we're not here." Then she was off.

"Strange? What does she mean?" Ichika tilted his head obliviously.

"Don't ask…" Houki blushed and face palmed incredulously.

Charlotte only giggled a little before flying off, giving the two a little wave. Cecilia followed suit with a confused look of her own.

It was now Houki and Ichika left.

"Okay. Let's go, then. I'm counting on you, Houki."

She slightly grinned excitedly,  
"Before, my pride wouldn't have allowed a man to ride before a woman… But this time alone is special."

Ichika flew towards Akatsubaki,  
"Listen Houki, this isn't a drill. So you should be careful, and…"

"I know that, of course. Don't worry." Houki chuckled in a laid-back tone.

"I'll get you there, no problem. You can rest easy with me here."

Ichika looked at her quietly for a second and noticed that she seemed more excited than usual,  
"You seem to be enjoying this for some reason. Is it because you finally got your personal unit?"

"Eh?"

Houki lightly shook it off, but couldn't help let a happy grin form on her face,  
"I'm the same as always. You just remember to stay calm during the mission."

Then, an incoming transmission.

 **"** **Orimura, Shinonono, can you hear me?"**

"Hai."

"We can hear you well."

 **"** **This mission depends on a one-shot kill. Finish this in as little time as possible. Your target is Silver Gospel; referred to hereafter as the Gospel."**

"Understood." Both replied.

Chifuyu was about to cut transmission, but Houki had something to say.

"Orimura-sensei, may I lend Ichika support as the situation calls for it?"

For a second, the radio was silent, but Chifuyu replied,

 **"…** **Don't overdo it. You have no battle experience with Akatsubaki. Some unforeseen problem could suddenly occur."**

"I understand, but I will aid him the best I can." Anyone could tell that her voice was full of uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

Kazuki spotted this immediately and quickly suggested,

"Orimura-sensei, Houki's not being herself. She's bound to make a mistake at this rate…"

Chifuyu turned to Yamada,

"Open up a private channel to Orimura."

"Hai."

There was a single click.

"Ichika."

The boy straightened in surprise when he heard the stern voice of her sister.

"H-Hai."

 **"** **-sigh- this is a private channel. Shinonono can't overhear."**

Ichika sighed in order to calm himself down slightly.

 **"** **It seems Shinonono's getting carried away. With her in that state, she may well make a mistake. Should something happen, lend her your support."**

"Understood. I'll keep that in mind."

Chifuyu gave Yamada a nod, and she clicked another button,

"Now switching to an open channel."

"Yosh. Begin!"

Once Chifuyu gave the go-signal, Ichika climbed onto Houki's back, and the two shot off into the distance at an incredible speed.

Ichika felt the force of the wind violently trying to push him off, but he held onto her, clenching his teeth tightly in brace.

 _'_ _Kuuhh! W-What is this speed!?_

The other 4 girls heard the sound of Akatsubaki firing through the air just behind them.

"No way! She's already caught up to us?!" Laura looked back and saw the clouds tear apart from a distance.

Then, they saw Ichika and Houki shoot past them at almost twice the speed.

"Fast!" Rin gaped.

"Ignition boost's got nothing on that unit. Wow!" Charlotte said as she watched the red and white unit disappear into the distance.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

 **3 Hours later…**

"But man… It sure is far away… It's been a couple hours since we left, and we're still not there yet…" Ichika drawled.

"Hmmm… According to satellite information, Gospel should be somewhere around here…"

Then something flashed red in their screen, and the screen zoomed in on an unidentified silver IS unit in the distance, flying directly towards them.

"There it is!"

"So that's Silver Gospel."

It was a plain silver IS unit with a pair of wings, but it was flying at the speed almost equal to Houki.

"I'm increasing speed. Ten seconds until we make contact with the target."

The two began their approach carefully; Ichika activated his Yukihira weapon. His body then began glowing yellow with a powerful aura from his IS unit.

 _'_ _We only have one shot at this… I need to finish this quickly!'_

They were flying slightly above the Gospel so that hey weren't visible to it, but the Gospel seemed to have noticed Houki and Ichika's approach, and it immediately changed its course. It flew up high into the air, making Ichika miss his swing. The two gave chase.

"Houki, keep going like this!"

The Gospel stopped and stared quietly at the two approaching it; some codes slid across the face of its helmet like some kind of program.

"Uwooohhh!" With a battle cry, Ichika swung with all his might, intending to end the fight, but the unit dodged at the last second at an incredible speed.

"It dodged?!"

The Gospel made some distance between them and fired multiple blue projectiles towards Houki and Ichika's general direction.

The projectiles forced the two to separate, and the shots plummeted into the sea, erecting pillars of water on the surface of the water.

Houki managed to dodge most of the laser projectiles, but the last one got her in the back.

"Guh!"

She quickly shook it off and looked for a good position.

Ichika also dodged a few straggling shots, and then made his course directly towards the Gospel.

"Houki, let's get her from both sides at once! You take the left!"

"Understood!"

Houki materialized her dual katanas and flew towards the Gospel.

But the enemy didn't stop to allow them to take it from both sides; it kept flying back, firing a flurry of laser projectiles in its tracks.

It wasn't going to work.

"Ichika, I'll cut off its movement!" Houki took the initiative to suggest an alternative, and Ichika followed.

"Got it!"

A pair of self-guided hovering blades detached themselves from Akatsubaki and chased down the enemy IS. Houki also followed them with her pair of katanas with a war cry.

The Gospel swiftly dodged the high speed blade, but the second one met its target and threw it off balance momentarily. Houki took this chance to get close to it and keep it from using the area of effect laser projectile attack.

"Ichika, now!"

"Yeah!" Ichika prepared for his next powerful attack, but then something on the surface of the sea caught his eyes.

"Wait… That's…?!"

While holding down the Gospel, Houki saw Ichika fly past her down closer to the sea surface, much to her confusion.

"Ichika!"

But the Gospel freed itself from Houki's oppression and fired a short burst of its laser projectiles. The attack wasn't that powerful, but it winded her, and it was enough time for the Gospel to kick her away. It then fired another wave of projectiles, and Houki had no choice but to pull back.

Meanwhile, Ichika positioned himself above what seemed like a ship on the sea and deflected the stray projectiles away protectively.

"Phew…"

Houki's screen popped up in front of Ichika and she was not impressed,

"What are you doing?! That was our chance!"

"There's a ship. I thought the teachers have locked down the ocean…" Ichika had a growing look of concern.

"A ship?"

Houki zoomed in on the ship and the AI identified it as a ship with no affiliation.

"It looks like a poaching vessel…" Ichika deducted.

Houki gritted her teeth,

"A poaching vessel, at a time like this?!"

However, they had no luxury of talking things out as the Gospel relentlessly sprayed projectiles towards the two.

"They're criminals! Ignore them!" Houki demanded.

"I can't leave them to die!" but Ichika stood his ground stubbornly and continued to deflect the stray projectiles away while having his shield energy chipped away.

Ichika noticed it too late when his Yukihira deactivated and his weapon reverted to its default setting.

"Crap!" He saw a burst of projectiles rage toward him and cursed under his breath.

 **Crash**

Houki, though, came to his support, destroying the oncoming projectiles.

"You fool! You'd protect a bunch of criminals? You should just leave-"

"Houki!" Ichika's angry shout made her flinch and her eyes widened in surprise. She had never in her life seen Ichika this angry before. It wasn't just anger. There was also sadness and disappointment.

"Houki, don't… Don't say something sad like that… Don't say it… To become blind to the weak once you've gained power… What happened to you, Houki?"

Ichika smiled lightly off into the distance,

"That's not like you. Not like you at all…"

"N-No… It's not like that… I just… I…"

Houki looked down in shame. She looked at her shaking hands with a perturbed look.

 ** _"_** ** _If I didn't have to, I wouldn't be wasting my time babysitting a bunch of weak kids."_**

 _'_ _I'm no different…'_

Houki dropped the katana in her hands, and she cried out in mental agony and shame.

 _'_ _I guess she's out of shield energy too…'_ Ichika deduced with a look of concern.

As if to confirm his fear, the Gospel gave no chance for recovery and sent out a wave of projectiles, but Houki was unprepared for it.

Ichika's eyes widened in panic,

"Houki!"

Houki snapped out of her daze and saw Ichika coming into take the projectiles for her.

"You stupid! You don't any shield energy-"

 **Boom**

A large explosion, and a large cloud of black smoke.

The two emerged from the smoke, with their units now heavily damaged.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! My remaining shield energy should have been enough to get away with a minor injury!"

Ichika chuckled weakly,

"Hahaha… I guess it's just a habit…"

"Ichika…"

Houki could see the scorched marks all over his Byakushiki and the static running dangerously over his unit.

"Kuh!" Ichika suddenly grunted in pain, and when Houki looked over his status, most of his back had sustained a severe 2nd degree burn.

"I-Ichika, y-your back…"

Ichika grunted a few more times, and then tried to ignore the pain,

"It's just some burns. I'm okay."

"What are you saying?! We need to get you treated. Quickly!"

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Watching the bright explosion, Kazuki stood up in anxiety,

"Sensei! At this rate…"

"I know." Chifuyu cut him off assertively. She grabbed a nearby radio,

"Alcott, Huang, Dunois, Bodewig. How much longer until you arrive at the scene."

Cecilia answered it,

 **"** **We should be there any second now."**

 **"** **Wait, I think I saw an explosion just over there. I think we're here!"** It was Rin. She noticed the bright explosion.

"Provide support and draw the Gospel's attack away from them."

 **"** **Understood."** They all said in unison.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

Houki suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from her right shoulder, and she noticed she couldn't move it. She clicked her tongue in annoyance,

 _'_ _Tch! A dislocated shoulder… How annoying.'_

"Houki-san!"

She then heard a familiar voice call out to her. It was Cecilia in her Blue tears. Followed by her, Charlotte, Rin and Laura were all just arriving, getting into strategic positions.

Her face brightened in hope,

"Ohhh! You guys!"

Rin flew over to Ichika in concern,

"Look at the state of you! What happened?"

"Just a scratch. Don't worry. More importantly…" Ichika directed their attention to the Gospel, which was standing still, codes running on the surface of its helmet.

"I think it's trying to switch into a different mode of attack with all of us here." Charlotte deduced carefully, her fingers dancing around the trigger.

"Then let us take this chance to strike first!" Laura began charging the rail gun at her back.

The shot had landed heavily and there was an explosion. But like they expected, it flew out of the smoke cloud unscathed.

"Didn't think it would go down with that." Laura smirked with a nervous sweat drop.

Cecilia and Laura flew to the other side of the Gospel while Charlotte and Rin stayed, entrapping the Gospel in a skewed diamond formation. Rin used her impact canons, Cecilia used her 4 drones and her rifle, Charlotte switched between different weapons rapidly and kept the Gospel under pressure like Laura did with her rail gun.

"Can you still fight, Ichika?" Houki supported Ichika by his shoulder.

"Yeah. If it's just that one-shot I need to connect."

With that, the two carefully joined in on the fray of taking down the Gospel.

Laura kept the enemy busy with her relentless barrage of short burst rail gun shots, but the Gospel effectively maneuvered itself to dodge with great swiftness.

"She's faster than I expected!"

Her eyes widened when the silver IS flew straight towards her with one of its arms out in front of her.

But Rin intercepted it, leading it astray in its path. Cecilia took this opportunity to shoot down the Gospel from a safe distance with her laser sniper rifle, but it was quick to recover and dodged all of Cecilia's shots.

The Gospel flew into a cloud to reassess the situation. A line of English text could be seen on its mask surface,

 **Realise the 'Enemy B'. Change to elimination action.**

"Got her!"

Charlotte didn't give it any chance and chased it down. She fired a few shots with her dual shotguns, and a few buckshot met their target. But after the first few shots, the enemy IS seemed to have adapted to Charlotte's arsenal of weapons and all her shots became dodge-able.

Charlotte quickly switched to her submachine guns, but the result was the same; only this time, the Gospel retaliated. It shot its own burst of projectiles from its wings, forcing Charlotte to back down with her energy shield up.

"Kuhh! You can't take me down with something like this!"

Cecilia provided her sniper support, keeping the Gospel busy under powerful long-range shots. The blonde maneuvered herself and re-positioned to avoid the Gospel's projectiles and kept at the enemy IS with her sniper rifle.

In the meanwhile, Rin had a clear shot of the Gospel and had her impact canon charged to the max.

 **Crash**

The shot had landed on its wings.

"Did you get her?"

But the shot was slightly off angle and the projectile shot past the wing with just a scrape,  
"Not yet!"

She quickly went in the approach to suppress the Gospel with quicker shots from her impact canon. This led the enemy IS straight into Houki, and she struck down her dual katana with all her might.

"Take this!"

However, the strike wasn't strong enough, and the blade of her katanas stopped just on the surface of the metal shoulder piece. The Gospel grabbed the katana by its blade with its barehands and flew high up, taking Houki with it.

"Houki, throw down your weapons and flee!"

"Houki!"

"Houki-san!"

Houki could see that the Gospel was going to release its area of effect projectile attack at point blank range. She clenched her teeth and materialized a blade at the front tip of her foot. She performed a quick aerial front flip and swung down her foot to cut one of the wings off the IS. The expressions of the girls brightened when they saw the IS plummet down into the ocean.

"We did it!" Charlotte cheered happily.

"Hey, not bad, Houki!" Rin acknowledged with her trademark smirk.

Meanwhile, watching the intense battle from the command center back at the excursion compound,

"Did they…?" Yamada trailed off cautiously, doubt present in her voice.

"No. There's still readings coming from the Gospel. It's not over yet." Chifuyu said calmly.

The sea was calm and still. But a huge pillar of water rose high up into the air, and electricity could be seen snaking around the pillar. There was a blue light emanating from the pillar, and in the center, there was a silhouette of the dreaded Gospel, without its wings.

Kazuki stood up from his seat with a look of shock, and his eyes widened like they have never before.

"T-That's…"

…

"What the heck is that?!" Rin almost felt herself being pulled into the center of the pillar of water as if it was a hurricane.

Laura recognized it and fear over took the former special force soldier,

"Oh no! Second shift!"

The Gospel then materialized 4 pairs of wings made purely out of energy, and for a second, they were blinded by the brightness of them.

The other girls all reeled back cautiously.

"S-Second shift?"

As soon as the words left their mouth, it flew high up into the air and the girls noticed that its speed had increased.

"It's gotten faster!"

"Houki, watch out! It's got you in its sight!"

She didn't notice until someone pointed it out; the Gospel was facing in Houki's direction and was forming a large ball of energy above its head. It then fired as a massive energy beam and it hit Houki directly.

"Kuaahh!"

"Houki!" Ichika yelled out, but she was already out far where he couldn't reach her.

With smoke trailing out from her unit, she crashed onto a nearby island, leaving her unconscious from the impact.

…

Kazuki stood up from his spot heatedly. He looked at Chifuyu impatiently,

"Sensei!"

For a second, Chifuyu looked around, making quick calculations in her head. Then finally,

"Alright, start heading towards them and buy them time. Quick!"

There was no need for other words; Kazuki bolted out the door, throwing off his white school blazer on the room floor.

 _'_ _Be okay, everyone!'_ All Kazuki could do was pray that the girls would be okay until he gets there.

…

"Tch! Houki's down! Someone go help her!" Laura ordered concisely, her instincts as a soldier kicking in.

"I got her-" Charlotte attempted to make her way towards Houki, but a flash from the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She quickly materialized her energy shield in an attempt to block the attack that Houki took a moment ago, but she was being overpowered. Soon enough, the shield broke, and she was blown back with a yelp.

"Charles!" One-by-one, his friends were falling. He was in no condition to help them; and he despised that.

The Gospel stopped just in time to avoid a sniper shot from Cecilia. Noticing that the enemy IS had locked its target on her, Cecilia quickly flew away to buy some time, but the Gospel was too fast. Whenever she would try to put some distance between them, the enemy would soon catch up with no effort.

Ichika flew towards the IS with all his might in an effort to shake it off of Cecilia.

"Get away from her!"

Ichika swung with his unactivated blade, and the strike connected. However, it was too weak, it couldn't even leave a dent. Ichika's face fell to an expression of despair and hopelessness.

"No way…"

The Gospel powerfully kicked Ichika away and prepared to fire another stream of energy beam to finish the teen off, but it was interrupted by a sniper shot from behind.

"Over here! Your opponent is Cecilia Alcott, the representative candidate of England!"

She tried to re-position, but the Gospel intercepted Cecilia in her path, and before the blonde could do anything, its wings enlarged and encased Blue Tears with it in a sphere. There was a small explosion inside. When the gospel released its wings, Cecilia and her unit emerged, scorch marks and broken parts on Blue Tears.

 _'_ _Damn! Damn it all! Why…'_

Ichika activated his ignition boost in his fit of anger. Perhaps it was his anger that gave Byakushiki energy as his Yukihira sword came to life magically.

"GO DOWN ALREADY!"

 _'…_ _Why am I so damn weak?!'_

Ichika's swing was wide, and the enemy dodged it with ease. From its wings, it shot a burst of small projectiles at point blank range, rendering Ichika incapacitated. With smoking oozing out of his unit, he fell down towards the ocean.

Neither Laura or Rin ceased fire; they were trying their best to keep the Gospel busy.

But Rin saw Byakushiki disappear and Ichika's unconscious body sink into the sea like stone. They couldn't do anything.

"Oh no! Ichika! We need to go help him! He's going to drown!"

"We have to keep firing! If one of us stops, then it's all over for us!" Laura spoke over the loud sound of her rail gun firing.

"Laura!"

Laura did her best to remain calm, but the situation was a lot worse than what she had thought it would become.

"Instructor! We need back-up! Houki, Charlotte, Cecilia and Ichika are all heavily wounded!"

Chifuyu's calm, commander-like voice resounded from their radio channels,

 **"** **I've already sent Kazuki there five minutes ago. Just buy some time until he gets there!"**

"But sensei, Ichika's-"

Then a blur shot past between them and their line of fire faster than a bullet. The blur came to a stop when it clashed against the Gospel head on, its pair of long black claws keeping the enemy rooted. It was Lyka. Kazuki was there.

"Kazuki!"

"N-No way!"

Kazuki was the last person they were expecting at this time.

…

When Chifuyu and Yamada overheard Rin and Laura's surprised outbursts, they looked at each other with wide eyes.

"S-Satoshi-kun?! H-How did he…"

The green haired teacher saw Chifuyu's expression darken dangerously. She slightly yelped in fear when Chifuyu stomped over and swiped the transceiver off her hands.

"Satoshi!" She screamed. It was as if she was ready to kill anyone in her current state.

There was silence from the radio channel to Kazuki's unit.

"You used it again, didn't you?! Second Shift!"

Again, silence.

She yelled,

"I told you-"

But she stopped. Chifuyu couldn't say anything further. Because what he was doing right now, it was the only way to prevent the mission from becoming compromised. It was for the mission. And she knew Kazuki was fully aware of this.

Her hands clenched powerfully into a fist and she punched a nearby wall, making a sizable fist-shaped crater, but her hands were bleeding.

"O-O-Orimura-sensei, your h-hands!"

"Yamada, tell them to withdraw."

"Eh?"

"Tell the girls to take the injured and withdraw!"

Yamada was confused,

"W-What about Satoshi-kun?"

"Just do it!" Chifuyu raised her voice, and that was Yamada's cue to stop what she was thinking.

"H-Hai!"

Yamada pressed some buttons and spoke on the transceiver,

"Huang-san, Bodewig-san, please take the injured and withdraw from the area."

 **"** **What?! But sensei, what about Kazuki?!"**

"This is an order. Please do as sensei says." Yamada's voice was strict and there were no room for arguments.

…

"Do as she says, Rin. This is also probably the Instructor's order."

"But we can't just leave him here!"

Then they were connected to Kazuki's radio channel and they heard his voice,

 **"** **Don't worry about me! Just take Ichika and the girls and get out of here!"**

Rin hesitated for a split second, but eventually gave in and quickly dove down into the water to get Ichika. Laura quickly flew to the other girls and carried them gently by her arms.

A new set of codes slid across the surface of the Gospel's mask. Then it pushed Kazuki back and flew past him towards the girls with its hand reaching for them for an attack.

But Kazuki intercepted it and swung horizontally at the Gospel's neck, but the Gospel flew back slightly just in time to evade.

"You're not going anywhere."

It's mask flashed red and it charged its energy wings to release a burst of small projectiles. One of Kazuki's arms was replaced with a three-barreled minigun and he fired it at the small projectiles. There were fireworks of small explosions all around the sky. Kazuki deflected the stray projectiles with his black claw on his other hand.

"I guess the minigun couldn't take down all the projectiles…"

By this time, the girls had taken the injured and had long gone, much to Kazuki's relief.

 _'Looks like_ _I can go all out from here.'_

There were multiple click sounds from all over his unit, and small missile pods stuck out of Lyka's body parts. Lyka's arms, legs, back, chest were equipped with at least a pair of high powered missiles.

The Gospel then shot a long burst of projectiles while it twirled in the air, allowing its projectile to spread all around in a radius.

Kazuki flew at an immaculate speed, dodging, shooting down, and deflecting what he could with his arsenal of weapons during his high speed flight. He retaliated by pointing all the red lasers at the Gospel. When Kazuki had locked onto his enemy, he fired all of his heat seeking missiles. The Gospel simply fired its stream of energy beam at the missiles, wiping all of them out before they could reach it.

Kazuki chuckled with a bit of an anxious sweat,

"Ineffective… huh?"

He suddenly felt a sharp pain from the back of his head; but it didn't surprise Kazuki.

 _'_ _I'm… running out of time… I need to think of something…'_

This time, the silver IS shot its energy beam directly at Kazuki. He dodged sideways, activating his camo at the same time, his unit giving off a quick, momentary flash.

The Gospel looked around, mathematical functions and equations running across the surface of its mask. But before it could determine the exact location of Lyka, Kazuki deactivated his cloak and rushed in with both his claws from behind. He felt a satisfying graze against the metal plates of the silver IS, but it was too shallow.

It tried to fire another stream of beam at him, but again, Kazuki disappeared from view using his cloaking module. However, this time, the Gospel flew high up and released a large burst of projectiles in a radius. The projectiles rained down, and Kazuki was forced to decloak and deflect most of the projectiles. Unfortunately, fragments of the projectiles ricocheted off of his claws and grazed him all over his body. He saw his shield energy drain down to 40.

 _'_ _Kuhh… I can't keep this up! I need to get away. Far away from Japan. Buy some time for Ichika and the girls… If my body can keep up…'_

Kazuki turned around and accelerated with all his power. Of course, the IS gave chase with the similar speed.

* * *

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

* * *

"The mission was a failure. We will rethink our plans and continue with it until we're notified otherwise by the government."

Chifuyu and all the other girls were in a rehabilitation room. Charlotte was sitting on one of the beds with some bandages on her arms, Cecilia was lying on another, with more bandages wrapped around her head, and arms; and also, Ichika lying on a bed with a large med patch on his back, some scratches and bruises on his arms and face. Houki, by far, was in the worst condition out of everyone else. One of her arms were heavily bandaged and was hanged up with the support of her shoulder, and she was bandaged everywhere except for her lower torso.

Houki slammed the surface of the medical trolly next to her angrily,

"But sensei, why did we leave Kazuki by himself there!? Even though we knew that Kazuki was going to be at a large disadvantage?"

Everyone in the room was silent. No one dared to speak in such a tense environment.

Chifuyu remained professional,

"If I had let Satoshi withdraw with you girls, the Gospel would have just followed you back to Japan, which is the last thing we want to do."

"But why not leave Laura or Rin with Kazuki to help?!"

"One girl can't carry 4 unconscious people. Even if one of you did stay, you'd only be in his way."

"…" Houki couldn't say more. Everything Chifuyu said were logical and true.

Ichika tried to calm his childhood friend down with an uneasy expression,

"Take it easy Houki…"

Chifuyu sighed,

"It's not like I don't understand how you feel, Shinonono. But we need Kazuki to buy time. We cannot, under any circumstances, let the Gospel into Japan, or else, there will be a disaster."

Charlotte finally spoke up, finding the right opportunity,

"U-Uhmm… But sensei, how are we going to re-approach this mission? Six of us with personal units were no match for its second shift…"

The girls all looked down in shame.

"It's just horrible… How could I let something like this happen…" Rin cursed at herself and her lack of capabilities as a pilot.

Chifuyu clapped her hand twice to gain Ichika and the girls' attention,

"I will announce the second raid plans. So listen well."

They all leaned in slightly with utmost seriousness.

"From the first raid, I've determined that quantity is ineffective against the enemy. You're all not trained for team combat anyways, so its best to keep the numbers small."

Laura trailed off,

"By that you mean…"

Chifuyu nodded,

"As soon as he recovers, Ichika will join up with Satoshi to finish off the Gospel once and for all."

"Ichika-san and Kazuki-san…" Cecilia trailed off. She was skeptical whether if it was a good plan.

Laura sighed in admittance,

"I see… Though I'd hate to admit it, Kazuki is more than capable of keeping the Gospel busy than the 5 of us… Then Ichika can make the decisive blow."

The girls felt the bitter taste of defeat, but it was something that they had to admit, and they did.

However, Houki raised a hand,

"But sensei, Ichika's too injured. I'm concerned about him going alone…"

Ichika smiled and shook his hand in denial,

"You worry too much, Houki! It's nothing! Look!"

Ichika showed his liveliness by smiling awkwardly and moving his arms, but she still wasn't convinced.

"I told you, bringing more people will just make it difficult for Satoshi. That IS is smart. It can tell that Satoshi is stronger than you girls, so it'll attack you first."

Regardless, Houki pushed stubbornly,

"Please let me help Ichika. It's too dangerous!"

"Did I not make myself clear? It's a no."

"But-"

"You will not assist Ichika. That is an order."

"Kuh…" she bit down on her lips in frustration. But Chifuyu gave no mind.

"If that is all-"

 **Knock Knock**

There was a knocking. When Charlotte opened the door, Yamada came running in with a flustered expression.

"Orimura-sensei -pant-, you need to see this."

Chifuyu took the tablet from the green haired woman and looked it over. Chifuyu's eyes widened in surprise.

"This is…"

Ichika and the girls all peeked over Chifuyu's shoulder to see what she was looking at, and it was an atlas, with the location of the Gospel marked with a large red dot.

Cecilia gasped in surprise,

"The Gospel's much further from Japan than where we fought it earlier?! Just what's going on?"

Rin made some quick mental calculation,

"That's twice the distance! They're 6 hours away from the shore!"

"Kazuki must have dragged it there using himself as bait…" Houki deducted gravely.

Charlotte panicked a little in concern,

"Wait, how is Kazuki going to last against the Gospel while Ichika makes his way there?! 6 hours is impossible against a monster like that!"

Chifuyu bit her lips in frustration,

"That idiot…"

She stormed out of the room to return to the command center, but then she bumped into someone tall, blocking her way.

She glared at the person standing in front of her,

"Watch where you're-"

Her eyes widened when she noticed it was Kazuki standing in front of her, an exhausted look on his face.

"Kazuki!" Ichika and the girls all exclaimed in unison at the blonde's presence.

Yamada looked as if she saw a ghost,

"Ehhhh? B-But… Ehh? N-No way!"

Chifuyu looked over Kazuki's body; there were no signs of injuries; no blood, or noticeable bruises. But she instantly recognized the pale look in his face.

"You… How did you get here so quickly?"

But there were other things he was more worried about, and he couldn't hear what she had said.

"Is everyone okay? Houki? Ichika?" He had a rare look of concern in his face, and the girls could tell, much to their surprise.

"Y-Yeah..." Ichika trailed off as if something was wrong with his usually cheerful and easy-going friend.

"M-Mmm…" Houki simply nodded awkwardly.

However, Cecilia was more worried about Kazuki himself,

"But that's our line! Kazuki-san, are you hurt anywhere?"

Kazuki smirked jokingly,

"You know me. Resilient as a cockroach…"

"Sorry we had to leave you by yourself against an enemy like that… I'm a failure as a husband!" Laura lightly punched the surface of her bed.

"Satoshi."

Said teen turned around to see Chifuyu, arms crossed, a face that indicated that she had something important to say.

"Sensei. If you always scowl like that, you'll get wrinkles." Kazuki teased, but Chifuyu was having none of that.

"Cut the jokes."

Ichika and the girls felt the temperature drop when Chifuyu glared down Kazuki with those frosty eyes. Kazuki sweat-dropped anxiously.

"You used your Second Shift to get there and back, didn't you? There's no way you could cover all those miles in just 10 minutes."

Rin's expression lit up in amazement,

"Woah! Kazuki you can activate Second Shift too?"

"Dude! That's… that's great! We can fight against the Gospel with that! It'll stand no chance!" Ichika smiled in hope, and so did the other girls, recollecting their lost determination.

Kazuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

"Heh, it is something to brag about, if I may say so myself…"

The group all laughed warmly. Chifuyu only watched Kazuki's laughing face with a solemn look.

Yamada whispered with a worried look,

"Sensei, is it okay? Shouldn't we tell them?"

"No. Don't tell them anything…"

 _'_ _Kazuki… Is this what you wanted? Because you don't want to worry them? Are you going to carry all that burden alone?'_

Kazuki noticed the concerned stare from his teachers, but all he could do was give them a grateful wry smile.

"Hey Kazuki! I remember your unit Lyka turning black when you saved Houki that day when you fought against Rin. Is that your Second Shift?" Ichika probed excitedly.

Kazuki smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, it enhances my speed, deception, and power of Lyka's actions drastically. Sounds awesome doesn't it?"

"Man~ you looked so cool in that!" Ichika exclaimed with chills of excitement running down his spine.

"I have to admit; it did look really special." Rin added.

"Hohohoho! As expected of the man I fought gloriously!" Cecilia boasted gleefully.

"Cecilia…" Charlotte trailed off with a sweat-drop.

Laura had also found some peace in her mind,

"So, you'll be able to activate second shift again for the next raid, right?"

Kazuki gave her a thumbs up,

"Of course, leave it to me."

Unknown to Kazuki and the others, Houki quietly observed Kazuki's demeanor, noticing something different.

 _'_ _He's hiding something from us… He's too complacent about his ability to use Second Shift…'_

 ** _"If I didn't have to, I wouldn't be wasting my time babysitting a bunch of weak kids."_**

The words echoed within herself like a curse; she wouldn't forget about what Kazuki had said that day. She couldn't.

Houki firmly closed her eyes in mental angst,

 _'_ _In the end… to him, we're just annoying little kids… He doesn't really care about us…'_

Then, the door to the room opened abruptly, and the government woman walked in with her still on the phone.

"… understood. It will be done."

The woman flipped the phone shut, and raised her sunglasses,

"Looks like the whole crew is here. Good. There's been an update on this mission info."

Chifuyu crossed her arms impatiently,

"Better get that out quickly, because we don't want you dragging us behind schedule more than you already have with your lazy entrances."

"I don't think that's a problem, 'Chifuyu-sensei'. I think your management of this 'schedule' put us behind more than enough that my 'lazy' entrances won't make too much of a difference at this point."

A vein bulged on Chifuyu's temple,

"Listen you-"

"Okay! Can you just tell us what this new info is? Please?" Kazuki almost pleaded. The interaction between Chifuyu and this ballsy government woman made the Cold War look like a sunny vacation on a Caribbean beach.

She cleared her throat,

"-cough- The Silver Gospel was discovered to be a lot more potent than we had originally thought, and thus, there has been a new order. But the elimination of that rogue unit remains unchanged."

"Can't we just detain it?" Laura probed.

"That's not going to be easy… Breaking it is probably a lot easier than keeping it alive…" Rin added.

The woman shook her head gravely, and the group didn't like it one bit.

"You don't understand."

"Understand what?" Ichika tilted his head in confusion. What was she trying to say?

"The Gospel is equipped with a nuclear warhead, and if you destroy that unit, it will set off the ignition primer and engulf an area of 5 square km in flames."

The whole group widened their eyes.

"A-A nuclear bomb?!" Houki thought she was hearing things. It was more of a hopeful thought.

"W-We can't let it reach Japan! We have to do something!" Ichika said heatedly, losing the earlier coolness.

"T-There must be a mistake… Elimination? It's as if this is…"

"… a suicide mission."

Charlotte was interrupted when the government woman finished her sentence.

"W-What?" Houki couldn't help but speak out her thoughts; she was in complete oblivion. Things were happening too quickly.

Chifuyu let out a snort,

"Heh. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but none of my students are going to be your sacrificial lamb. So you can go tell the geezers to sod off."

Kazuki noticed the woman turning to him,

"Great. Because Satoshi Kazuki, you have been ordered to destroy the Gospel."


	16. Chapter 15 -Final-

*** Important ***

 **I'll put the A/N at the end so you can get on with the story, but before you do, I want you to go to Youtube and prepare these 2 OSTs.**

 **Code Geass OST - Fair Future**

 **Code Geass OST - Continued Story**

 **You'll need these two musics near the end, and trust me, it's great. Don't play them now; play them when I tell you to in an A/N in the middle of the story.**

 **Of course, you're more than welcome to not listen to these OSTs and I understand; it can ruin the flow of your reading. It's totally up to you; but I would still strongly recommend that you do.**

 **For mobile users... Well, if you want to go through the effort to download these OSTs from Youtube, you can. It's definitely worth it. But again, you don't have to if you don't want to.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own these OSTs nor do I own the Youtube channel. Credits go to their respective publishers and creators.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **Chapter 15 -Final-**

"Great. Because Satoshi Kazuki, you have been ordered to destroy the Gospel."

It was as if an ice bomb had landed in the middle of the room; nobody moved a muscle.

Ichika and the girls all roared in anger,

"What?!" Houki growled, she couldn't believe the woman even had the gills to say something like that.

"Just wait a second! Who do you think you people are, huh?!" Rin pointed at the government woman with all the ill intention she harboured.

Charlotte also joined in the fray heatedly,

"Yeah! Don't think we'll just do whatever you tell us to do! Even if you're with the government!"

"That's right! Kazuki-san's not going to follow orders like that!" Cecilia added,

Ichika took a threatening step forward,

"Yeah! Don't screw around with us! Coming in here, telling Kazuki to go on a suicide mission!"

Unlike these girls, Chifuyu remained indifferent, but some people could tell that her expression had darkened slightly,

"My student is not a disposable pawn."

Laura nudged Kazuki to say something,

"Don't just stand there, Kazuki! Say something!"

"Pff…"

All eyes turned to the blonde youth, and they were greatly surprised to see him burst out laughing.

"Kazuki?" Houki looked at him in confusion. Just what was going through that head of his, she wondered.

Kazuki let out a sigh after getting the laughter out of his system,

"Ahhh… So this is where I accept the mission and die a cool, heroic death, huh?"

"Kazuki!" Charlotte didn't like how Kazuki lightly talked about his own death. It was making her anxious. Not just her, but the others as well.

Kazuki continued, preventing anymore outbursts,

"But let me tell you something here, Miss Government agent… There are two things I hate the most."

The woman raised her sunglasses and cocked a brow, intrigued by Kazuki's reaction.

He stuck out a single index finger,

"First; being told what to do by a person I barely know."

He then he released his next finger,

"Second; protagonists who only think dying a heroic death is the solution to everything."

The uneasy smiles around him brightened to a smile,

"Kazuki…"

Kazuki let out a confident smirk,

"I'm not going to die for a bunch of people on desks whom I don't even know, or have never met before; I'm not your dog."

Kazuki walked up to Ichika and put an arm around him,

"Besides, WE are going to complete this mission; no problem. Isn't that right, Ichika?"

For a second, Ichika was stunned, but he quickly cheered energetically,

"Y…Yeah! Yeah, that's right! We'll definitely find a way! I mean, c'mon! It's Kazuki we're talking about!"

Rin couldn't help but let out a grin,

"Yeah, I forgot. Our Kazuki here can act stupid sometimes, but he's our ace pilot."

"He wasn't offered to be the IS representative of Japan on a whim; he definitely fits the bill to become one!" Charlotte added with a light chuckle.

Ichika laughed,

"Ah! Yeah! I remember! It was on the news! Kazuki declined because 'it was a pain in the neck', was it?"

Ichika and the girls laughed warmly, much to Kazuki's annoyance.

Chifuyu also watched Kazuki proudly,

 _Looks like you finally made your resolve, Kazuki… I'm proud of you.'_

He was completely different from the weak, and pathetic person he was yesterday, and it was clear to the raven haired instructor.

The government woman suddenly sighed,

"-sigh- … I didn't want to resort to this, but… It looks like you girls don't understand what's going on with Satoshi Kazuki here…"

Kazuki's ears perked immediately to her sudden statement.

 _What is she on about?'_

"Huh? What nonsense are you going to throw at us next?" Rin smirked with an unsurprised attitude.

"Your friend 'Kazuki-kun' here is dying."

Kazuki's eyes widened in absolute shock.

"W-What…"

"…d-did you…"

"…just say?!"

The girls were beyond furious; they were having none of her crap.

Houki suddenly felt rage rile up within her,

"Okay. I've had it with you! Insulting us is fine, but a bad joke like this is just crossing the line!"

The agent only laughed,

"In denial, I see… I guess it's better to just let you listen to it."

Kazuki turned to look at a recorder in the agent's hand with a panicked look,

 _Don't tell me it's that phone conversation-'_

Kazuki yelled in an attempt to stop her,

"Oi, don't!"

The agent had already pressed the play button, and a voice could be heard from all over the room,

 **"Tabaco? You need something?"**

 **"Kazu-chan?! Is Kazu-chan safe?! Is there anything wrong?! If there is, please tell me everything!"**

 **"C-Calm down, what happened?"**

 **"That's my line! Kazu-chan's status window is glowing red! It says Kazu-chan is hurt!"**

 ** _'Oi, you were watching me this whole time through that status window…?!"_**

 **"Stop spying on me, you creep!"**

 **"I'm serious, Kazu-chan! There's something wrong with the core's compatibility to your body!"**

 **"-sigh- okay. It's all… coming back to me."**

 **"What is?"**

 **"My memories… During a match, several images of my childhood popped into my head like electricity. That wasn't the only time, I've had it in dreams too… When I try to remember, my head feels like someones hammering a nail into it."**

 **"K-Kazu-chan… Is that really true?"**

 **"Y-Yeah…? I mean, it could just be a headache you know? Can it really get worse?"**

 **"Well, I'm sure it's nothing I need to worry about… Right?"**

 **"Kazu-chan… Your condition… There's no other way to explain… It's your body showing rejection symptoms to your core… It's destroying every cell in your body…"**

 **"W-What…? You've got to be kidding me…"**

 **B-But don't worry, Kazu-chan! Taba-chan's prepared pills for you to take. It should help suppress the symptoms!"**

 **Tabaco… Am I… dying?"**

 **Kazu-chan…"**

The agent pressed the button again and there was silence.

Ichika and the girls had their eyes opened wide; it was like hearing someone's death sentence; except that someone was a close person they knew.

"K-Kazuki, what did Tabane-san mean by your core?" Ichika looked at his close friend with a mixture of shock and confusion.

Houki yelled and shook him by his shirt collar,

"Oi! What's happening to you?! What do you mean you're dying?!"

"Those pills… You told us they were vitamins!" Charlotte yelled in betrayal; she didn't want to believe what she just heard. Charlotte knew; since she saw what were underneath Kazuki's clothes. Now, she wished she hadn't seen them because the phone conversation was making sense to her.

Kazuki found himself at a very difficult position. Should he tell them the truth?

Chifuyu crossed her arms calmly,

"Satoshi."

Kazuki saw the rare concerned look on his teacher's face and sighed.

"Okay… You're right… I lied about the pills… As Tabane said on the phone, it suppresses the symptoms of my body showing resistance to… an illness." He lied through his teeth.

"An illness?" Rin pondered uneasily.

Laura suggested desperately,

"If it's an illness, can't it be cured?"

"Tabane said it's not incurable, but it'll take time for her to gather up a chemical formula and produce another pill."

Houki's grip on the poor blonde lightened as soon as Kazuki said the words reassuringly,

"So, it's… curable…"

Cecilia clasped her hands together in great relief,

"Thank goodness… You had me worried there for a second Kazuki-san…"

Kazuki gave them a comforting smile,

"You guys are exaggerating. I promise; I won't kick the bucket from a petty illness like this."

He turned to the government agent with a victorious smirk,

"My illness has nothing to do with it. I can't have you think that we'll forfeit our lives for something like this. As if I'll let that happen..."

The agent sighed and shrugged,

"-sigh- Very well. Quite a stubborn lad, aren't you, now? But I expect you to come out with good results, Satoshi Kazuki."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"How long until the Gospel enters Japanese airspace?"

"Approximately 5 hours, Orimura sensei!"

"Good. Satoshi's bought us a good amount of time… What's the status on the Gospel?"

"Hai! It's currently in stealth mode, but it doesn't seem like it's equipped with an active camouflage!"

"Yosh, keep on eye on the Gospel, and report any changes directly to me or Yamada!"

"Hai!"

Chifuyu stared at the holographic screen blankly, her mind currently occupied with thoughts of what just happened.

 **"My illness has nothing to do with it. I can't have you think that we'll forfeit our lives for something like this. As if I'll let that happen..."**

She remembered the determined, yet wistful expression on Kazuki's face when he said the words. It bugged her greatly, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Yamada noticed Chifuyu in deep thought,

"Sensei, is something the matter?"

Chifuyu noticed that she was zoning out,

"No… It's nothing important. Probably over thinking it."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Ichika and the gang were all sitting on a large dining table, waiting for some food in anticipation.

"What's taking him so long?" Rin complained slightly, trying to suppress her growling stomach.

Charlotte enjoyed the tasty scent coming from the kitchen,

"Mmm… It really smells nice, though!"

"I wonder what he's making…" Cecilia took a sip from her cup of water and cleared her throat.

"It smells like fried rice." Ichika took a guess as he sniffed the air.

Houki stared at her own reflection on her spoon blankly,

"I didn't think he could cook at all…"

Laura was busy having a staring contest with an elephant shaped soy-bottle, occasionally poking it to see if it moved.

Rin rested her chin on her hand lazily,

"But aren't we being a bit too nonchalant with the Gospel thing going on? I mean having lunch like this?"

Laura pushed the soy-bottle away and brought her attention back to the group,

"But the instructor told us to replenish our strength properly after eating. I think it's a good idea."

Ichika nodded almost sagely,

"Mmm… That is a good point."

"But shouldn't we help Kazuki with some preparation at least? I'm worried about his illness…" Charlotte said as she looked in the direction of the kitchen in concern.

"He specifically told us not to come in… He said something about a secret recipe, or something…" Houki said uneasily.

Rin face palmed,

"-sigh-… That guy is so relaxed; doesn't he realise that there is a nuke coming to kill us all?"

Ichika chuckled,

"You should give him a break. Besides, that's one of the good things about him… With him, it feels like you can do anything."

Meanwhile, Kazuki was busy cleaning dishes, vegetables, and cutting tools, preparing to make his usual stir fry rice.

"-sneeze-. A beautiful girl must be talking about me…"

He finished up the last preparation and began frying the vegetables.

He grinned slightly in nostalgia,

"It's been awhile since I've last made this for someone…"

"Yahooo! Kazu-chan!"

To his dismay, Kazuki heard Tabane's voice, and at the same time, he saw a pair of arms come over his shoulders and he felt something soft press against his back.

"-sigh- get off, you nutty rabbit, it's hot and heavy."

However, Tabane refused to let him go from her back hug,

"Mmmm! This smell… It's so nice and nostalgic…"

Kazuki couldn't help but let out a thoughtful grin,

"Yeah, it's your favourite; with extra chilli and coriander-"

But Tabane rubbed her face against the back of Kazuki's hair with a perverted smug,

"Uhehehe! Kazu-chan's scent! Taba-chan missed it soooo much!"

 _'Not the food?!'_ Kazuki retorted comically with a funny expression on his face.

With Tabane stuck to his back like a cicada, Kazuki took out some large plates from the kitchen drawer.

"You know, Kazu-chan, you shouldn't be moving around like this… You're sick after all."

"And you think clinging to me is going to help?" Kazuki joked, but her expression suggested that she was serious.

"Just wait a little longer, Kazu-chan. I will get you the new pills. I'm almost done. So please… don't push yourself…"

Kazuki felt the hug tighten a little.

He smirked confidently,

"Don't worry. I won't bite the dust that easily; it'll take much more than this to kill me. I'm more worried about your little sister."

Tabane hummed in agreement and concern,

"That's true… Even though she's that injured, she wants to help Ichika with the mission…"

"She probably won't listen to what I say… I wonder if there's any other way… to persuade her."

"Ah! Taba-chan has an idea!"

Kazuki cocked an eyebrow and listened to what she had to offer.

"Oh? Does Kazu-chan want to know?"

"What, you're not going to tell me?"

Tabane winked,

"If Kazu-chan gives Onee-chan a ki-"

Kazuki left the kitchen with the plates of stir fried rice, leaving Tabane in the kitchen with a steaming lump on her head.

Kazuki came into the dining room with his plates of fried rice,

"Alright. Sorry for the wait. There was a bit of a… nuisance."

He could hear the gasps of amazement from the girls as he set each plates down for each of them,

"Woah! This looks soo good!" Rin didn't wait to pick her utensils up to start digging in.

Cecilia smugged with a blush, having a quick moment of fantasy,

"My, Kazuki-san~ To think that you would do all this for me!"

Charlotte lightly elbowed the blonde girl's side, snapping her out of her fantasy,

"He made it for all of us… Cecilia…"

"…" Cecilia groaned in dissatisfaction.

Houki took a shy bite from her plate and held back the urge to cry out in bliss,

 _Delicious! How can a simple stir fry be this good?! What's more, extra chilli and coriander! How did he know?!'_

"Fufufu… I expect no less from my future wife…" Laura grinned proudly with a light blush, happily shoveling the food into her mouth.

"But where did you learn to cook? I mean this is really nice!" Charlotte said with a happy blush, her hands constantly moving for more.

"Yeah! This is better than the cafeteria food back at the academy!" Ichika added.

Kazuki sat down, having a spoonful of his own portion,

"I'm not really that good at cooking. This is pretty much all I can make."

Rin pointed her spoon at him with a teaseful grin,

"There you go again with the modesty. I tell you, it doesn't suit you, Kazuki!"

"I'm not lying; I really can't cook anything but stir fries." Kazuki shrugged.

Cecilia inquired shyly with a blush,

"But, what about the bag of cookies you once gave me? Didn't you bake that yourself?"

Kazuki flinched and all his actions stopped. The girls could see sweat dripping from his forehead nervously.

"Heh… You got a bag of cookies? From Kazuki?" Charlotte said a bit too casually while playing with a harmless butter knife in her hands.

"Uh-oh! Hahaha, you're in trouble now, Kazuki!" Rin laughed like an old man, cleaning her plate without a care in the world.

Laura, in the meanwhile, produced a combat knife out of nowhere and casually began sharpening the blade with a bright smile on her face,

"Heh… how interesting… So you can also bake cookies…"

Houki shoved her spoonful of rice in her mouth,

"I HATE cookies."

"What's got everyone so upset about a cookie?" Ichika failed to understand the irritated looks on the girls' face. Kazuki wasn't surprised.

Kazuki shook his head in mental fatigue,

"-sigh- look… It was a way of apologizing for almost causing her a major injury during that class match… And it wasn't even handmade anyways."

Cecilia's blush quickly disappeared,

"Eh?"

"I didn't have time, so I had to buy it from a small corner shop nearby-"

A butter knife came flying towards him and just barely missed him. It embedded itself deep into a brick wall just behind him. Kazuki stared at the knife with a nervous sweat-drop.

"Ho…Hohohoho… I'm sorry, I couldn't hear over all those excuses. Care to repeat that?" Cecilia's smile was anything but gentle; it had killing intent oozing from it, and the fork in her hand didn't help.

Kazuki gulped,

"I-If you guys all just want cookies, just go and buy-"

Two more sharp objects came flying towards him, but luckily for him, they all missed. One of the sharp objects managed to kill a cockroach stuck to the wall. It was dead cold.

"Heeeek!"

Laura had a dark look on her face,

"Sorry, my fingers slipped."

 _'Liar! You were aiming for me, weren't you?!'_

Charlotte still had the bright, innocent smile on her face,

"Oh! My bad. I accidently hit the cockroach!"

 _'At least pretend like you weren't trying to hit me!'_ Kazuki retorted comically in his mind.

The group had finished their respective plate of food, and Kazuki grinned in satisfaction.

"okay, now that we've finished…"

Then a high pitch voice of a girl everyone recognized. Immediately, Kazuki and Ichika grimaced.

"Yahoooo!"

Kazuki was taken by surprise by a back hug again as Tabane casually rested her arms over the blonde's shoulders.

Kazuki didn't even try to shake her off; there was no point. He would never be able to pull her off anyway.

"Houki's nee-san…" Rin trailed off with a look of annoyance. Just looking at her overhyped state was enough to tire the girls out.

"Nee-san, what are you doing here?" Houki felt slightly annoyed at how clingy she was getting to Kazuki, but she held it in.

"That's, of course, Taba-chan wanted to check up on her cute little sister, Houki-chan!" Tabane smiled she usually did, but Kazuki felt the concern from her tone.

"Enough with the jokes, Nee-san, what-"

Houki paused and recalled to what she was told just the other day,

 ** _"It's because she loves you so much; she can't leave you alone. Tabane's worried about her one and only baby sister. Isn't that obvious to you?"_**

Houki took another look at her older sister; and then it struck her like lightening.

 ** _"I've seen it too many times… The empty smile that's always yearning for someone she loves… someone she misses… No matter how hard you try to fill that emptiness in her heart, she'll just smile at you as if nothing's wrong because she doesn't want to make other people worried…"_**

She stole a quick glane

She finally understood what Kazuki had meant. The smile that hid her pain and loneliness. Houki couldn't quite explain, but it was there in her tone. The cheerful, yet hurt melody of her words…

She remembered the last thing she said to Tabane before leaving for the IS academy,

 ** _I don't want to see you ever again! Stop messing with my life already!"_**

Kazuki and Tabane noticed Houki slightly tear up, and Tabane was beyond shocked.

But Kazuki smiled,

 _'So you've finally realized…'_

Kazuki gently tapped Tabane on the arm and motioned her to get off. When Tabane willingly let him go, he stepped away and watched Houki carefully approach the purple haired girl.

"Nee-san… I'm so sorry… I was being stupid this whole time…"

To everyone else's confusion, Houki broke down, sobbing.

"O-Oi, Houki what's wr-" Ichika tried to go over to console his friend, but he saw Kazuki shake his head at him. He didn't understand why, but he soon did when Tabane hugged her little sister compassionately.

"No, you don't have to feel sorry for anything, Houki-chan. Everything's Onee-chan's fault… It's all my fault…"

The rest of the girls were slightly perplexed at the sudden development of the situation, but soon enough, their faces melted into a warm smile.

"I don't know what's going on exactly, but that's nice…" Rin said, wiping a bit of tears off her eyes.

"I guess those two made up after an argument they had in the past…" Charlotte nodded in understanding.

Laura only had her eyes closed the whole time and silently rejoiced for the two siblings.

"Thank goodness… I'm glad for her." Ichika quickly gave Kazuki a thumbs up, and Kazuki gave him a thumbs up back with a toothy grin.

Tabane held her dear sister tightly in her embrace; nobody noticed the tiny spec of tears in the corner of one of her eyes.

Then, there was a transmission resounding in the room; it was Chifuyu's voice.

 **"Alright, Satoshi, Orimura! Get prepared for the second raid. You two will leave exactly 5 minutes from now."**

Like a switch, Kazuki's demeanor solidified, and he became dead serious.

"Alright, Ichika. Let's get going."

"Yosh. Let's make this mission a success!"

Houki noticed the two boys leaving the room, but she quickly released herself from Tabane's embrace,

"Wait! Let me come with you, Ichika!"

Ichika stopped in his track with an apologetic look,

"S-Sorry Houki, Chifuyu-nee specifically told me not to take you with us…"

"You're way too injured. It's too dangerous." Kazuki said sternly. His look suggested that he was not planning on having an argument.

However, Houki stood her ground stubbornly,

"No! I'm going with Ichika. He has a 2nd degree burn on his back! There's no way you could do this on your own!"

Charlotte tried persuading Houki out of it,

"Kazuki's right, Houki, your injuries are worse than his. You need to rest up."

"You'll only end up getting in their way…" Rin said frankly.

Houki shook her head furiously,

"Even so! I just can't leave him alone! What if something happens? What if Kazuki makes a mistake? Who's going to protect Ichika?"

She was getting more and more desperate by the second. Kazuki and Ichika looked at each other with difficult looks on their faces.

"Are you two listening? I…" To everyone's surprise, Houki suddenly collapsed, but Tabane was close-by to prevent her from falling face first onto the ground.

"Houki?"

Kazuki looked back and forth between Houki's unconscious form and her sister. He gathered the pieces together, and finally figured out that Tabane had drugged Houki's food.

"O-Oi, Tabane, did you…"

Tabane cut him off,

"Oh my, Houki-chan must be tired! She fell right asleep!"

The girls tensed up slightly when they suddenly saw Houki collapse, but they sighed in relief,

"Oh… She's just tired…"

"I thought she was hurt… and that's why…"

Tabane gave all of them an innocent smile; making it seem as if there was nothing wrong. But she felt the piercing glare from Kazuki.

"Ichika, you go on ahead and get ready. I need to go take a shit."

Ichika reeled back, dumbstruck greatly,

"Sh… At a time like this?!"

"Don't worry, I'll be done soon."

No one noticed the angry look on his face as he walked out of the kitchen with Tabane quietly following him.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"What the hell were you thinking drugging your own sister?! Do you not understand how important Ichika is to her?"

"There was no other choice, Kazu-chan. If Houki-chan went with I-kun, it was either going to be Kazu-chan or Houki-chan dying."

Kazuki let out a frustrated sigh; he couldn't disagree with her stance, but still, he wasn't happy.

"Do you know just… how long you waited for this?! After all these years, Houki forgave you for doing all those things to her, and now you thank her by feeding her a sleeping drug?!"

To Kazuki's great detest, he saw the very smile he never wanted to see; the hollow, lonely smile,

"All I want is to protect Houki-chan… Why can't you understand, Kazu-chan?"

Kazuki raised his voice,

"Don't give me that shit! It's YOU who needs to understand! YOU made me so that I can protect Houki in your place, don't you remember?!"

Tabane looked up to see the hurt look on Kazuki's face, but it was mostly anger and disappointment.

Kazuki lowered his voice this time,

"You gave me a reason to live, Tabane… If you take that away… then… what good am I to you? To anyone?"

Tabane looked up to the blonde's face; it was the same. The grateful, yet sad smile as he hugged her goodbye before leaving for the IS academy last year.

"I understand that you want to protect her as an older sister, and I want to help you. That's the reason why I'm here, Tabane."

The purple haired girl looked up to see him frown in concern,

"But protecting her doesn't mean it's okay to hurt yourself. What you need to realise is that there are people who can't stand to watch you suffer."

"Tom…"

Kazuki looked away to hide his wistful expression,

"There's no reason for Houki to hate you anymore. So let me carry that burden..."

There was silence between the two, and Kazuki felt a little awkward, getting no response from her,

"You know what, don't worry about what I said. Just-"

When he turned around, however, Tabane closed the distance between them and locked her lips with Kazuki before he could react.

His eyes widened, taken completely by surprise. Her lips were soft, and he could smell the lavender from her long purple hair. He didn't even notice that she had grabbed him by his shirt collar to pull him down to her lips.

She finally let him go from the kiss, and Kazuki saw a rare blush,

"That was my first kiss…"

"Y-You… Just what…" his mind was swimming.

Tabane gave him a cute wink,

"Kazu-chan's smart enough to know why, right?"

Before he could put the pieces together, his phone rang, and it reminded him,

"Crap, I'm going to be late for the mission."

He took one last look at Tabane,

"Just… Don't cause too much trouble while I'm away, okay?"

"Hai, hai!" she returned to her usual childish demeanor.

Kazuki ran off down the corridor,

 _'All this time… that's why she…'_

His face, however fell into a sorrowful frown,

 _'But still… Tabane… I… I can't return those feelings… I don't have the right to…'_

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Ichika and Kazuki were now at the beach.

"Were you able to get it out of your system?" Ichika cocked a brow jokingly.

"Yeah. Best feeling of my life." Kazuki answered very seriously, much to Ichika's chagrin.

Kazuki laughed,

"Anyway, you ready Ichika?"

He gave him a thumbs up,

"Of course, ready when you are."

The two materialized their units, and just like Ichika did with Houki, Ichika got onto Kazuki's back.

"By the way Ichika, your back really okay?" Kazuki probed, getting ready to blast off.

Ichika admitted with a nervous chuckle,

"Well, it stings, but it should be alright."

"You fool. That's what happens when you act tough…" Kazuki sighed; he couldn't help but be very conscious about Ichika's injuries.

 _'Ichika's not going to last too long… We need to finish this quickly…'_

With that, the two flew off into the distance with haste.

Meanwhile, Chifuyu and Yamada carefully watched over the status' of Ichika and Kazuki in their units from their command center.

"This is our last chance… If we fail again…"

"…Japan's going to be in the proximity of the Gospel's nuclear explosion, if it decides to use it." Chifuyu finished gravely.

"And if it explodes too close to the water, it could create another tsunami in Japan…" Yamada added.

"Pretty much, Japan's safety is in their hands…"

Chifuyu stared at Kazuki's screen with a worried expression,

 _'Don't you dare think about doing anything stupid, Kazuki.'_

 **Few hours later…**

Kazuki checked his arsenal one last time to see if there were any apparent damages.

"Yosh… Tungsten blades in good condition; minigun in pristine condition. I'm all set. How about you, Ichika?"

Said boy scratched the back of his sheepishly,

"Well, I only have the Yukihira, so…"

Kazuki grinned,

"Your sense of calm in a desperate situation like this is just shocking even to me…"

Something flashed on both their screens; the Gospel was closing in on their position.

"Here it comes."

"Okay, Ichika, I'll keep it busy in close combat. When it's distracted enough, activate Yukihira and come charging in whenever you're ready."

"That's dangerous! What if I accidently hit you?"

Kazuki smirked,

"Hmph, who do you think I am, Ichika? Don't worry about me; just focus on taking down the enemy."

"O-Okay…"

"Good. I'll be closeby to provide support in case you're in a tight spot. Remember, all we need to do is, get its shield level to fall to zero. It should deactivate once it runs out of juice. Just as long as we don't destroy it…"

The Gospel was now straight in front of them; a few hundred meters away.

Kazuki gave the signal,

"Now! Scatter!"

Just as he commanded, Ichika flew off of Kazuki's back while Kazuki himself crashed head-on into the Gospel.

There was a small shockwave on impact with Kazuki's claws and the Gospel's hands, splitting the clouds surrounding them.

The Gospel pushed itself away to put a little more distance between them, but Kazuki pursued without giving it any chance to recover.

He swung his right claw down diagonally, then immediately slashed upward with the same hand. He followed up with another combination of left slashes.

The silver IS brought one of it's wings forward to block the right claw power swings, and swiftly parried Kazuki's left swings away from itself.

"It's not over yet!"

Kazuki focused and the world around him was moving at a slower pace. He could see every shift in the Gospel's center of mass, and he could see the direction that it was planning to go.

"There!"

Kazuki sharply stabbed his right claw at the enemy's shoulder before it could move positions, but it moved its arm just in time to redirect Kazuki's stab to cause just a small scratch.

"Tch!"

He then barely dodged a powerful punch from the IS by tilting his head slightly.

 _'That was too close!'_

But he just noticed a dangerous roundhouse kick to the temple coming his way. He leaned back and saw its foot whiz past his nose; the sheer force causing the clouds behind him to explode.

"Kuh!"

Kazuki was off balance; he wasn't going to be able to dodge its next attack. The gospel raised its foot for a heel drop, but it was interrupted when something had hit it from behind.

"Take that!" Ichika slashed across the Gospel's wings, doing some good damage to its shield energy. Kazuki took this chance to move away.

This time, Ichika was engaged in an intense melee combat with the enemy IS. Ichika thought back to all his Kendo lessons as a kid.

He took his stance and breathed out slowly like they taught him in the dojo. He gripped Yukihara's hilt tightly with both hands and slashed down vertically.

The Gospel raised one arm to block it. With its other hand, it attempted to grab Ichika by his throat, but Ichika wasn't going to allow that. He slashed its arm away from himself with his sword and proceeded with a right punch. But to Ichika's shock, the Gospel caught his fist.

"Crap!"

But before the Gospel could attempt anything, Kazuki used this exact opportunity to strike when it was least guarded.

Kazuki rapid-switched to his tri-barrel minigun, replacing his right claw, and fired straight at the Gospel's exposed back.

 **Crackle, Crackle**

Once again, the silver IS recoiled forward from the impact, giving time for Ichika to fly away to prepare another aerial strike.

Kazuki grinned nervously,

 _Okay… If we keep this up, we should be able to take it down without detonating it…'_

Just when Kazuki thought that, the Gospel's eyes flashed red and flew high up. Kazuki knew what it was. Ichika stopped and he recognized the move immediately.

"That move…"

The Gospel twirled high up in the air while firing a huge burst of small projectiles, and they scattered in a large radius.

Kazuki reacted quickly by exploding towards Ichika, creating a sonic boom. Ichika noticed an ear shattering sound, and then he saw Kazuki standing in front of him.

"Kazuki?!"

"Take cover behind me!"

Kazuki fired several shots into the wave of projectiles, destroying most of them coming their way. But Kazuki switched back to his claws instantly and deflected the rest of the projectiles away.

"T-Thanks!"

"It's not messing around anymore… Listen, if you see it do that again, you come straight to me!"

Ichika hesitated,

"But I can't let you take on all those projectiles on your own. I can at least help."

"No. Don't waste your shield energy on that! I'll take care of them, so you just focus on attacking that thing."

"Still-"

"No time to talk! Here it comes!"

Kazuki roughly pushed Ichika out of the way; the wave of projectiles flew past them into the deep ocean.

"Woah! That was close!"

"Focus!"

Missile pods released from Kazuki's unit, and they all fired simultaneously. Each of the missiles found their target and raged towards the IS, but with a short burst of projectiles from its wings, the missiles all fell to pieces and blew up mid-flight.

Kazuki then materialized his rail gun and locked onto the IS. He clenched his teeth and fired, but the enemy simply swiped it away with its hand like a fly.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

Ichika, in the meanwhile, concentrated his energy in to his sword and performed an aerial strike.

"Uwoohh!"

The IS quickly turned its head to see Ichika's white unit fly at it at high speed, but it flew out of the way, making him miss.

"Damn it! It's too fast!"

He didn't have time to think as the Gospel sent multiple projectiles at him. He deflected a couple of them, but a few managed to make it through past his guard.

His shield energy fell to 200.

Lyka came in while firing the enemy IS with his minigun, providing cover for Ichika's escape. He supercharged his claw with high voltage electricity and slashed away at the Gospel in a flurry of swings.

The silver IS did its best not to touch his claws and simply dodged most of his swings, but the last slash slightly grazed it in the face, leaving a visible scratch. The Gospel flew away, but Kazuki wouldn't let it create distance between them two.

"Why you...!"

He sent a fluid combination of swings, but the IS simply used its energy wings to match each swings without damaging itself too much.

 _'Tch! Those wings are a pain!'_

At point blank range, the Gospel spread its wings and fired off a burst of projectiles in Kazuki's direction.

Kazuki was forced to fly back to dodge a few of them, but he had to deflect off a few with his claw.

But he noticed that he had separated from Ichika and he was at a distance where he couldn't cover for him. Ichika was remaining still in his spot, gathering energy into his sword.

Just as the blond feared, the silver IS flew up high and fired its projectiles from its wings in a radius. However this time, there were about 5 times more projectiles than the amount it usually fired out.

Ichika felt the impending danger closing in on him. He prepared Yukihira and got in his stance; but he felt a burning pain from his back, and he winced.

"Ichika!"

 _'Tch, that idiot! He pushed himself too hard!"_

Kazuki fired at the projectiles heading towards Ichika with everything he had; his minigun ammunition, missiles, and rail gun shots.

To Ichika's surprise, there were many small explosions in front of him as most of the projectiles fell apart mid flight, and he was able to easily knock away the rest.

But the same couldn't be said for the blond as he was left vulnerably standing in front of a massive cloud of projectiles. He focused his senses, and once again, everything was happening in slow motion. He could see the exact trajectory of most of the projectiles heading his way.

He dodged some of them by shifting his mass all over his body; leaning, tilting and bending, while also using his claws to deflect what projectiles he could manage to hit. But even for Kazuki, it was proving impossible to get out unscathed.

A few projectiles managed to hit directly in Kazuki's abdomen. His shield energy disappeared from the 1st projectile, and then he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen from the other projectiles, but he ignored it with a vicious growl,

"Grahh!"

That was the least of his worries because when Kazuki recovered from the Gospel's attack, it was already preparing for another one. It was aiming to fire its powerful beam directly at Ichika, but Ichika wasn't aware of where the Gospel was.

"Ich… -cough- Ichika! Behind you!" Kazuki coughed, and little bit of blood splattered the screen in front of him.

Ichika instantly turned around to see a massive stream of energy raging towards him,

"Oh no-"

There was a large explosion, and a large cloud of black smoke and flames erupted from Ichika's unit.

"ICHIKA!"

From the smoke, a small figure of a boy came out and was falling into the water at a dangerously fast rate.

The Gospel fired its powerful energy beam at Ichika again in an attempt to finish him off, but Kazuki accelerated to his maximum speed and grabbed Ichika before the beam could hit him. The Gospel had its sights still on Kazuki and fired again, but the blonde quickly activated his stealth module, disappearing from both the enemy's sight and radar.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **Beep… Beep… Beep…**

There was the steady sound of Ichika's heart beat coming from the heart monitor. He was laid out on a futon with all the necessary medical equipment beside him. There was a life support mask to provide the unconscious boy with oxygen occasionally.

In that very room, there was Houki, kneeling just next to him with an enraged look; it showed from her fists shaking in anger. All the others including Tabane and Kazuki stood in the far side of the room in silence.

"So, while I was sleeping, Ichika was put in a coma while fighting for us…"

Houki turned around and yelled,

"Who was it?! The one that fed me the drug?!"

She glared at one of the girls,

"Charlotte?!"

Startled, Charlotte shook both her hands and her head honestly,

"N-No, it wasn't me."

"Laura?!"

The platinum haired girl crossed her arms and sighed,

"Pointing fingers at everyone isn't going to help, Houki…"

Houki looked at the other two girls, Rin, and Cecilia, and didn't seem to her that they were the ones.

"C-Could it be… Nee-san…?" Houki turned to her older sister with a sad frown. She felt betrayed.

Tabane looked down in shame; the look on Houki's face was, as she feared, hurtful. But she had to take responsibility for her actions, even if Houki came to despise her; it was to protect her.

"Houki-chan… It was-"

"It was me."

Everyone turned to Kazuki when he blatantly announced himself to be the culprit.

The other girls remained silent, but the looks of disbelief were apparent in their faces.

"K-Kazuki…?"

The fact that it was Kazuki shocked Houki the most. But it was him who cooked all the food. And he also mentioned that he was here to protect her. If she had thought about it, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise.

Tabane's eyes widened,

 ** _There's no reason for Houki to hate you anymore. So let me carry that burden..."_**

She tried to deny it,

"Wait Houki-chan that's-"

But Kazuki didn't let her and quickly cut her off,

"I told you, Houki. My job is to look after you. I'll use whatever means necessary to do it."

 **Punch**

Kazuki's head recoiled back slightly from a strong punch to his right cheek.

"Houki-chan!" Tabane watched in horror as Houki tried to go in for another punch, but the other girls all jumped in to hold her back.

"Houki! Calm down! Ichika's just behind you!" Rin warned, trying her best to push her farther from Ichika's unmoving body.

Kazuki re-adjusted his head and closed his eyes. He didn't have anything else to say.

Houki spoke through her clenched teeth,

"If you're here to take care of me, then why couldn't you protect Ichika?! You almost got him killed! You call that looking after me?!"

She raised her voice and didn't hold back to speak her thoughts,

"If this is what you call protecting, then I don't need it!"

Houki relaxed herself, and the others let go.

"If it weren't for you…"

Kazuki heard Houki mutter slightly, but he couldn't quite make out what she said. But he would soon figure that out.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been confused! About you, or Ichika! None of this would have happened if it weren't for you being here!"

Kazuki kept his eyes shut, and his voice low,

"I'm sorry. It's unfortunate, but you're right."

He then opened his eyes and the girls all saw the unwavering determination in his eyes,

"Forgive me. I'm just doing what needs to be done."

Houki could only criticize him harshly,

"I didn't think you were so egocentric, but you are! You're selfish and a liar, Kazuki!"

Kazuki turned to leave, allowing him to hide his face from the crowd,

"…I think so too."

With that, the blonde teen left the room without another word, leaving Houki to collapse onto her knees in tears.

 _'Damn it! Why am I always crying?! Even though he's such a despicable person! Why do I feel so sad?!'_

Tabane looked back and forth between her sister and the way Kazuki went. For the first time in her life, she hesitated.

 _'Kazu-chan… I'm sorry!'_

But the purple haired girl made her mind. She shook her head and quickly went over to Houki.

Rin stared at Houki gravely,

 _'No… It wasn't Kazuki who drugged her… He just took the blame for Houki's sister.'_

Charlotte tried to let the whole event sink in; she was still having trouble sinking in all the information,

 _'But if he does that…'_

 _'Houki-san will come to hate Kazuki-san from the bottom of her heart.'_ Cecilia ended her thoughts. It seemed like Laura was thinking the same thing. But they were powerless. They couldn't do anything. If they told Houki the truth, that would be dishonouring Kazuki's decision to take in Houki's hatred.

The door to the room slid open and the girls were expecting Kazuki, but instead, Chifuyu walked in.

"Orimura-sensei!"

The raven-haired teacher's eyes trailed down to see Houki sobbing and Tabane consoling her gently.

"How is he doing?"

"He's stable now, but he's not showing any sign of waking up…" Laura trailed off weakly.

"Where's Kazuki?"

The girls all flinched at the mention of the blond's name. If Houki's reaction to Ichika's state was like what they saw, they didn't want to even think about Chifuyu's.

"I think he was heading to the infirmary to rest… A lot of things happened here…" Rin said carefully. The girls sighed in relief to see her neutral reaction.

"So it seems…"

Chifuyu stared at Houki for a second, then, she scolded,

"Shinonono! Just how long are you going to sob! We're in the middle of a battle! There's no time for emotional hangups!"

Her voice was harsh and strict, but no one said a thing. Perhaps it was because the mission involved an IS equipped with a nuclear weapon, or maybe because it was Chifuyu herself.

"Chi-chan…" Tabane sent her a concerned look.

"This really is our last chance… We need you and Satoshi to stop the Gospel at all cost. Or else, there is no stopping that monster. Ichika's effort will be in vain."

Tabane was surprised to see Houki stand up and stop her sobbing.

"I'll do it. I'll destroy that IS if it's the last thing I do!"

There was unrestraint anger in her tone, but the others definitely saw the clear intentions behind her words. She was determined more than ever to complete this mission.

 _'I'll keep my emotions aside… Right now, what's important is to safely disable the silver IS…'_

Chifuyu nodded in satisfaction,

"Good. Be ready to set off in 10 minutes. That will be all from me."

She took one last look at Ichika before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

"-Sigh- just what is that fool doing at a crucial time like this?"

She made her way back to the commander center, but she felt something wet under her feet. Confused, she looked down and raised her feet to see red soaking her socks.

In shock, she widened her eyes, and when she looked up, she saw a trail of blood leading to the infirmary.

 _'This blood… Could this be?!'_

Chifuyu followed the trail, running, and she slammed opened the door. But there was no one there. She did notice a several medical supplies missing.

She left the room quickly and noticed a fresh trail of blood leading to the basement stairs no one ever used in the whole compound.

Moving swiftly on her feet, she made her way down the dark stair case. It got to a point where she couldn't see her own hands, so she took out a flash light.

Then, she heard the faint rustling sound coming from a few steps down. Chifuyu lit the flashlight at the direction of the sound, and spotted a bright blonde hair. When she went closer, she saw Kazuki sitting upright against a wall with a small pool of his own blood. There were couple of large bullet wounds to his abdomen and blood was seeping out profusely.

"Orimura-sensei… It's too bright…" she could hear his painful pants with almost every word, but he managed a weak smile.

"S-Satoshi? What happened to you?! All that blood…" Chifuyu was more alerted than she should've been. But no one could blame her. Kazuki's blood coming from his abdomen was not dark red, but it was bright red.

"I'm fine, sensei… If I just tightly wrap it up and put pressure on it…"

"That's not going to help… It must have taken out an artery…"

Kazuki ignored and wrapped his stomach around with the bandages he got from the infirmary. He made sure that they were on as tightly as possible. He ripped the excess off with his teeth and threw it away.

"Didn't you hear me? It's not going to work!"

The blonde raised a hand and let out a grin,

"You probably don't know this yet, but like Tabane, my body was reinforced to withstand injuries like these. Every cell in my body is overdoped to the extent that my metabolism would speed up my recovery by two-fold."

"What are you?"

He chuckled,

"Me…? A monster… that's what I am."

Suddenly, Chifuyu shook her head,

"You're not in any condition to fight. Physically and mentally. I'm calling this one off, and I'm sending you to the hospital."

Kazuki coughed a couple times, but smiled weakly,

"That's funny… The Chifuyu-san I know wouldn't do something like that…"

"What?"

"Do you not remember what you told me the other day?"

 ** _"The Satoshi I know is the kind of idiot that gets the job done, no matter what it takes! Even if his body becomes a tattered mess; even if he's mentally suffering, he always pulls through with that idiotic smile on his face!"_**

"That's-"

"Let me be the Satoshi Kazuki everyone thinks highly of... If I don't, then there nothing else left to identify myself."

Chifuyu was lost for comforting words, at this point, there was no point sugar coating or euphemising anything.

"If you mess up even a little bit, it's not just you, but most of us here are probably going to die."

"Hahaha… Not very enthusiastic, are we? Have some faith in us, sensei… Has there been a time where I failed to make you proud?" he chuckled.

"Plenty. In fact, there's too many to count." She said blunty much to Kazuki's annoyance.

Chifuyu let out a resolved sigh,

"But, I'll admit that you're strong and highly reliable… I don't think I've met anyone as amazing as you are in my long career as an IS pilot."

Kazuki's eyes widened; it was Kazuki's first time hearing her complementing him.

He shook his head sheepishly, albeit weakly,

"Hahaha… If you complement me like that out of the blue… I might fall for you…"

Chifuyu couldn't help but let out a grin,

"You're 1000 years too early, brat."

Kazuki smiled, and then breathed in deeply. He then stood up slowly on his feet with a few painful grunts.

"I'm sorry sensei..."

Kazuki's solemn apology took her by surprise.

"What're you apologizing for?"

"Not only did we fail the mission, I almost got Ichika killed."

Kazuki looked down in shame and guilt,

"It's difficult even for an egoistic bastard like me to feel nothing after getting getting your brother almost killed..."

"Kazuki... It wasn't your fault... You tried your best to protect him..."

He shook his head mournfully, "I'm still here breathing while Ichika's fighting for his life in a comatose state... It's clear that it wasn't enough."

There was no uplifting Kazuki's spirits in his current state, and Chifuyu had figured that out the instant she saw what had happened to Ichika.

But there was still something that was driving Kazuki forward; a personal goal, a sense of undying determination in him that made Chifuyu curious.

"We should get going sensei, the Gospel's going to reach the shore any second."

"… how's your wound holding up now, Kazuki?"

"It's stopped bleeding for now… It's no big deal."

Chifuyu couldn't accept it. There was no way a person would be fine after being shot in a major artery; even if that person was Kazuki. But there truly was no choice; Kazuki and Houki were the only ones left.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Houki was out on the beach, staring out into the sky.

 _'Ichika… I promise, I will avenge you!'_

She heard a couple soft footsteps behind her, and saw Kazuki with a fresh set of school uniform.

Anger. Disappointment. Sadness. Houki felt the wave of negative emotions rise from the dark corners of her heart, but she shook her head,

 _'Not now, Houki! He is our only hope of taking down the Gospel… There's no choice but to suppress my feelings for now and collaborate…'_

"What's with the scary look on your face, Houki? You look like you're about to punch someone." Kazuki started the conversation with a light grin, but Houki quickly shut him down.

"Talking to me even after all that happened… You really don't change; that tiring personality."

"I try. You ready?" He smiled.

"Yeah, let's go."

Yamada saw the signals emitted by Houki and Kazuki's IS units fly away from the shore. But then she also noticed a different signal just a few 100 meters followed the two at the same speed.

"Orimura-sensei, which unit is that just behind Shinonono-san and Satoshi-kun? It seems like a carrier ship…"

"That unit's from the government. The minister of defense wanted a much closer observation from that woman, and so she's going to tail those two from about 4 kilometers away."

"Observe?"

Chifuyu wasn't sure herself.

 _'Just what is that agent thinking?'_

After a few minutes of travel time, Houki and Kazuki saw the Gospel coming at them at a fearsome velocity, it's wings already charged for its attack.

The silver IS fired multiple projectiles towards Houki and Kazuki's general direction, but they split up and dodged them with relative ease.

Houki whipped out her dual katanas and charged at the IS with a warcry. Both IS' were in a spectacular clash, giving and receiving strikes.

Houki stabbed forward with her right, but after her enemy parried it away, she immediately followed up with a horizontal slash with her left. The Gospel flew back slightly, but Houki didn't give up.

She swung both her sword widely in a cross, releasing a wave of red energy in the form of cresent projectiles. The hostile IS blocked one of the with its wings, but the other managed to break its guard.

"Kazuki!"

With Houki's command, Kazuki flew in for an aerial strike much like what Ichika did, except quadruple the speed and power. He shot past the Gospel, slashing its exposed body in the process.

The silver IS had tried to block Lyka's aerial strike, but the force of the slash made it slightly lose control in the air, and it fell into the water with a large splash.

"Did we do it?" Houki focused her vision on the calm surface of the water.

"What are you saying? We're just getting started." Kazuki sweated nervously as a huge pillar of water rose from the sea, and they saw the IS fly high up into the air.

"This pattern! It's coming!"

Just as they were expecting, the Gospel fired a massive number of projectiles in a radius.

Kazuki quickly switched to his minigun and shot down most of the projectiles, allowing him to dodge the rest easily.

Houki fired off the same red wave slash at the cloud of projectiles, having the similar effect. She blocked the left over projectiles with her sword.

Kazuki then saw the Gospel reposition behind Houki in the midst of the chaos. It was the exact same pattern that got Ichika.

"Houki, Behind you!"

"Shut up! I know!"

Houki flew to the side just in time for the large energy beam to miss her by a milimeter.

Her Akatsubaki was more than capable of taking care of themselves; and that reassured Kazuki.

She then withdrew temporarily to assess the situation,

"Tch… This is going to be tough… its speed and its potent ability at close and long range makes it impossible for us to approach it."

Kazuki placed his hand on his chin ponderously,

"If there's anyway we could bind it in place…"

Then, by pure concident, something red flashed in the corner of the helmet of the enemy IS and Kazuki barely noticed it from the corner of his eyes.

"Wait… What's that on its helmet…?"

"Who cares about what's on its helmet! Focus on taking it down!" Houki was annoyed by his sudden distraction.

But Kazuki felt a sudden chill and his instincts screamed at him to check his suspicions.

Without a word, he flew towards the Gospel with both his claws extended.

"Oi! Kazuki! Where are you going!"

Kazuki boosted himself forward even more with a strong burst from his jet engine.

The Gospel was prepared as it put both its hands out to grab his wrist. And it did just that. Kazuki and his enemy was face-to-face with each other, and he saw a set of numbers in red on its helmet face. It was small, but it was bright enough to catch his eyes immediately.

 **10:01**

 _'10:01? Is that the time now? That's impossible… It's way past the afternoon…'_

He looked back at the number and he noticed that it had changed,

 **09:58**

 **09:57**

The numbers were falling by the seconds. His face paled when he realized what it was. It was a timer.

 _'No, no, no… It can't be… There's no way!'_ Kazuki was in denial. He had never felt so hysterical in his life.

However, the Gospel wouldn't give the blonde the luxury to think and it kicked Lyka away powerfully and followed up with a burst of projectiles.

Kazuki angrily smashed all of the oncoming projectiles coming his way,

 _'No! Think! Think! Think! What else could that timer mean?! Time in between each attack? No… it's too long… I've seen it attack many times indiscriminately.'_

He leaned his head back to dodge a powerful punch,

 _'Then what else?! The time it takes to recharge its shield energy? No… that's way too short… It takes me 2 hours to recharge 100 shield energy… So that's impossible…'_

There was no other way to explain it. It was a timer for the nuclear bomb inside the IS unit. They had been fighting it without even realizing that the nuclear warhead was on a timer this whole time.

Kazuki flew back to where he was before.

Houki scolded,

"It's pointless to go in alone. Don't waste your energy needlessly."

She looked over Kazuki's unit and she noticed a large opening in the armor around his abdomens and she could see his white school uniform underneath.

"Oi, what happened to the armor down there? Was it like that before we got here?"

But Kazuki began with a very low tone,

"Listen to me carefully, Houki, and don't panic… The nuclear warhead inside the Gospel is on a timer and we have just under 9 minutes until it goes off."

"What…?" Houki initially thought it was one of Kazuki's jokes, but she knew well that would be a joke of bad taste, and she knew Kazuki wouldn't make those kind of jokes.

"If the data that the government sent me is correct, the Gospel has a reserve battery built inside, so even if we manage to deplete its shield energy, the timer will still function…" He continued.

Houki felt the energy sap from her body at the new revelation,

"N-No way… Does that mean that there's no hope for us…?"

Kazuki fell silent in deep thought; he couldn't help but sweat anxiously at the situation, but he had to stay calm. He had to think of something. He had to.

 _'Don't screw around with me, fate! I made a promise! As if I'm going to die out here! I need to think of something… But what!'_

"Kazuki!"

Houki's scream snapped him out of his daze and he saw the energy beam raging straight towards him. He dived sideways to dodge, but his left arm was caught on the edge of the energy beam, completely destroying the armor covering it. The claws dematerialized and disappeared.

Kazuki flew back holding his bloody arm in pain,

 _This isn't good… If we don't think of something…'_

"Are you okay, Kazuki?!" Houki tried to draw the Gospel's attention away from Kazuki, attacking it with everything she has.

 **"Satoshi Kazuki and Shinonono Houki. There has been an update to the mission information."**

Suddenly, there was the voice the two were fairly familiar with. It was the government agent woman speaking from the carrier ship a couple of kilometers away from the battle.

"You! What are you doing here?!" Her voice was the last thing Kazuki probably wanted to hear at this moment.

 **"We've found out that the nuclear warhead is on a timer that will run even when the Gospel's shield energy depletes."**

A tick mark appeared on Houki's temple,

"We've already established that, thanks!"

 **"Then this makes the conversation faster. Satoshi Kazuki. The government is not taking any risks. Using your superior speed, you need to take the Gospel far way from the Japanese shore and destroy it."**

Kazuki remained silent; he was still in deep thought. It was an option. But an option Kazuki was not willing to take.

"So, you're telling me to kill myself?" he grinned teasingly.

"No!"

Houki violently yelled out at the woman and began berating her angrily,

"You think you can just order people to die?! Kazuki's not the type to sacrifice himself for honour or anything stupid like that! Don't compare him to the likes of you assholes!"

"Houki…" the blonde didn't think the girl would think that much of him. But it elicited a smile from him.

"She's right."

Kazuki let go of his bloody arm, stood tall and let his chest out confidently,

"I don't give two shits about the safety of this country, but I won't let it fall… That's because…"

Houki saw Kazuki look towards her with a warm smile,

"I've recently gained too much things, and I don't feel like losing them…"

The girl only looked at him with a puzzled look,

 _'What's with him acting all… like that…'_

Houki quickly shook it off and focused on the situation at hand.

"So, please give us a little more time. We'll definitely figure something out." Kazuki radioed over.

There was silence from the government agent.

Finally,

 **"You have 4 minutes until it goes off… If you require anything, my carrier ship will be on standby outside the radius of the explosion in case you fail to stop it."**

 _'She's got a carrier ship? Closeby too?'_ Then that got Kazuki thinking. But he decided to hold that thought for later.

There were no more responses from the radio, and the two were on their own.

"So now what?" Houki smiled nervously. Kazuki could tell. She was afraid; her hands were shaking.

"Simple. We just give everything we've got until we take it down. When we take its shield energy down, we can start from there."

"Nice and simple. I guess there's no choice."

Houki readied her weapons and stared down at the Gospel, but she noticed Kazuki's unit shine brightly. The blue colors of his unit turned black, and the abdomen and arm armor that was previously destroyed all rematerialized.

 _'He recovered his damaged armor?'_

 **Unit set to maximum performance; second shift activated**

Kazuki breathed out slowly; he retracted his claws and saw the plasma snaking along the length of the tungsten blade.

Houki watched in awe as the particles dissipated off his body,

 _'So that's his second shift…'_

She blinked, and that's when Lyka disappeared from her view. Shocked, she looked around, and suddenly, she was hit with the force of a powerful wind and heard an ear-shattering noise.

When she focused her vision on the location of the Gospel, there were sparks flying, but she could see the Gospel by itself, and not Kazuki's unit.

With incredible speed, Kazuki was flying past the Gospel, tearing away at its shield and armor little by little.

Kazuki bit down on his teeth strenuously, a little bit of blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth,

 _'Before it detonates… Before anyone gets hurt, I have to finish this!'_

He didn't notice the blood soaking through the white uniform on his abdomen, so he just pressed on harder.

Houki couldn't keep up with Lyka's unbelievable speed; it was as if he was teleporting all over the place. Even the Gospel was having trouble dealing with him.

A new set of English text slid across the screen of the Gospel's helmet, then flew high up into the air.

Kazuki stopped where he was and extended his claws and crossed them in front of him, looking through the slits between the blades with his enhanced vision. When the Gospel fired, Kazuki deflected the projectiles with pin-point accuracy; most of the projectiles he deflected managed to hit the Gospel back, creating a small cloud of dust from damaging its armor.

 _'Amazing… He ricocheted those projectiles straight back at it…'_ Houki slashed away the projectiles herself, but kept her attention focused on Kazuki's black unit.

From the cloud of dust, a large energy beam came ripping through the air, towards Kazuki, but he simply activated his dynamic camouflage and disappeared from the Gospel's radar.

The silver IS looked around, but Lyka was nowhere to be seen; until a large gash in its chest armour appeared and a black blur flew past.

Kazuki distanced himself from the IS momentarily to prepare his next and final attack,

 _'Okay… one more and that should-'_

Suddenly, he felt a burning urge to cough, and he did so several times violently. He saw a fair amount of blood splattered onto his screen and controls. He finally noticed the sharp pain coming from his abdomen, and he placed his hand there to put some pressure on it. But his hands touched something very wet, and when he raised his hands to see, it was covered in blood.

He grunted painfully and looked down to see that half of his uniform was soaked in bright red blood.

He found himself catching for breath, and he noticed himself slightly shiver.

 _Tch! Not this again!'_ Kazuki slammed down on some keys with his fist and a mirror image of himself appeared on screen.

There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was significantly paler than last time. He felt oddly tired. He felt his eyes slowly close-

"Kazuki!" Houki flew over to Kazuki with a look of amazement.

The blonde's eyes jolted open and he quickly wiped the blood off his mouth and put on his usual nonchalant smile,

"Impressed? That was nothing."

Houki's face popped up on his bloodied screen with a look of acknowledgement,

"I'll admit, you can do some crazy things. But don't let it get to your head."

She leaned in on Kazuki's face on her screen when she noticed how pale his face was,

"You look pale. You've got dark bags under your eyes."

Kazuki raised his shoulder,

"You think so? I was always pale to begin with in terms of skin color."

Houki looked at him a little suspiciously, but she shook it off,

"Is that so…"

Houki drew her attention to the silver IS off in the distance. It seemed like it was performing some minor repairs to its action protocols and software as it remained unmoving in its spot. But it had its eyes on Houki and Kazuki as to prevent any surprise attack.

"So… Is this the end for us? Is there nothing else we can do?" Houki grinned slightly in defeat.

Meanwhile, another sharp pain came from Kazuki's abdomen, and he felt it getting worse. But he suppressed the pain,

"… No. There has to be a way. I'm not giving up just yet!"

But he grinned to himself mentally,

 _'That being said… the nuclear bomb is probably going to detonate anytime soon… Damn it… I guess this is as far as my abilities takes me…'_

 **"Satoshi Kazuki! There's only a minute left until the detonation! Hurry!"**

It was the government agent, but the two already knew.

"Curses! This would have been much simpler if we could've used something to restrict its movement!"

At first glance, Houki's suggestion may sound simple, but that sparked an idea in Kazuki's head and his reaction was explosive.

"That's it!"

Houki jumped slightly at Kazuki's excited outburst.

"W-What? Did you think up a plan to stop it from detonating?"

Kazuki laughed merrily as if Christmas had come early,

"Hahaha! Why didn't we think of this earlier? Houki, you're a genius! Now I'm 100% sure you're her sister!"

Kazuki was definitely onto something, and it had created a sense of hope for both of them.

"I-I see. That's great! Go on! What's the plan?"

Kazuki nodded and opened up a radio channel to the carrier ship,

"Hey, are there any chains, ropes, or anything else that could be used to restrain the Gospel?"

 **If you look for it, I'm sure there is. But there are weapons here, why not use those instead?"**

"Don't be stupid! We have more than enough strong weapons!"

Kazuki turned to Houki and motioned her towards the direction of the carrier ship,

"While I keep the Gospel busy, you go get those things from the carrier ship. Trust me, this is going to work!"

Houki didn't hesitate for a second and excitedly followed his instruction,

"O-Okay!"

Houki turned around and flew at full speed towards the marker on the map that Kazuki had sent.

 _'I don't know what he's thinking, but that confident look in his face… It'll work!'_

It didn't take her long to reach the carrier ship. It was a fairly large flying aircraft with a back hatch like a chinook helicopter **(A/N: google it.)**. The hatch opened allowing Akatsubaki to enter, and it closed behind her with a loud locking sound. She deactivated her IS and walked around.

The inside of the hatch was dark and full of unused material, but she rummaged through all of them diligently in search for the thing Kazuki required.

 **"Houki, are you in?"**

"Yeah, but I'm having trouble finding it… Just give me a little more time!" Houki dug through piles after piles of stuff.

 _'Quickly! I need to get Kazuki what he needs!'_

"Okay, great! Hurry!" Kazuki smiled anticipatingly.

But his smile suddenly turned into a serious look of resolve and determination.

 _'Sorry, Houki… But like you said, I'm a liar.'_

"Ah hah! Found yah!" Houki exclaimed happily as she pulled a long steel chain out.

She radioed over to Kazuki,

"Kazuki! I found it! I'm on my way."

She quickly walked over to the hatch door and tried to look for a button that opens it. Confused, she tried knocking on it a couple times, but she knew that wasn't going to do anything.

She tried to contact the agent,

"Oi, government agent, open the hatch! I found what I was looking for!"

Silence; there was no answer.

She furrowed her brows and switched channels,

"Kazuki, I think the hatch door is stuck or something… That woman isn't answering me either. What should I do?"

Again there was no answer.

Strange… she thought.

"Oi, Kazuki, can you hear me? Oi!"

But she almost lost balance when the ship suddenly moved. It was accelerating. To where though?

Houki quickly ran up to the nearest window and saw the ship flying away from where Kazuki was.

Her eyes widened in panic,

"Hey, wait! No, no, no, no! Where are you going; stop!" her shouts of distress weren't getting through to anyone.

She desperately tried to get Kazuki on the radio,

"Oi, Kazuki! What's going on?! Call the agent! Tell her to stop the ship!"

Again, there was silence. Kazuki wasn't giving her any response.

"What are you doing, Kazuki?! Why aren't you responding?! Why?!"

 ** _I told you, Houki. My job is to look after you. I'll use whatever means necessary to do it."_**

Houki gasped. She hoped she wasn't right.

She ran towards the windows on the other side. She tripped over the steel chain she had on her hand. She furiously threw it away and scrambled onto her feet and ran up to the window.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Kazuki's expression of resolution and determination quickly changed into a sad smile. He turned around slowly and extended his claws, applying high voltage electricity across his blades.

With the help of his jet engine, he exploded towards the Gospel with a vicious warcry.

 ** _(A/N: Code Geass OST – Fair Future)_**

 _'When my memories returned, I took the time to look back… Then I realised, there was no meaning in living a life full of lies…'_

Kazuki dodged a punch to his abdomen.

 _'But l've been lying to you all from the beginning… So I'll stay the spited liar…'_

He slashed straight down the Gospel's left shoulder, lopping its arm off completely.

 _'I was scared… Scared of them finding out what I was… Scared of getting attached to them… So I pretended like I didn't know. I just couldn't bring myself to hurt their feelings like I did to Houki…'_

A few projectiles penetrated through Kazuki's left shoulder, blood splattering in the air.

 _'Sorry Houki… I made that promise to pair you up with Ichika, but I never actually got around to doing that… And it looks like I won't be able to fulfill that promise anymore…'_

The Gospel sent an uppercut to Kazuki's wounded abdomen, and he hurled over, gritting his teeth in pain.

 _'And I'm sorry, Tabaco, but it looks like I'll be going ahead… Take good care of yourself, and make sure this time, you get along with Houki.'_

Kazuki stabbed his claws through the Gospel's chest. With a painful grunt, he accelerated and carried the Gospel high up into the air.

 _'In the story of the boy without a heart, people wear masks to express what they truly want to be; even if it was a form of a far-fetched hope.'_

The Gospel fired more projectiles from its wings, and they all hit Kazuki from point blank range. But even so, he didn't stop.

 _'The masks themselves represent our deepest wishes, and I feel that now… I understand…'_

Kazuki and the Gospel was almost 8km off the sea surface, and Kazuki twisted his claws to confirm the kill. The codes on the surface of its helmet disappeared, and its arm and wing drooped down powerlessly.

 **Warning: damage exceeding threshold; initiating detonation.**

Kazuki smiled warmly from the bottom of his heart,

 _So that's why I'll smile… As my deepest wish for you all to have a bright future.'_

 ** _(A/N: Code Geass OST - Continued Story)_**

A blinding light enveloped him and his nearly broken down unit. But the smile never left his face as his figure disappeared into the light.

"NOOOOO!"

Houki shrieked with all her sorrow, tears falling profusely, watching the explosion helplessly.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"Someone get on the damn radio and try to contact Satoshi and Shinonono!"

"It's no use, sensei! Somethings interrupting their signal!"

Chifuyu slammed her hands on to a nearby desk.

 _'Tch, piece of shit! It's been awhile since we lost their signals…What the hell happened to you, Kazuki?!_

Suddenly, there was a large tremor. The trolley of teas fell on its side, shattering the cups and pots, and there were screams of fear from the command centre personnels.

"An earthquake?"

"That was scary~ I wonder what that was…"

Yamada's expression fell to a shade of purple,

"Orimura-sensei!"

Chifuyu turned towards the window with a panicked look,

 _'Kazuki!'_

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Charlotte was happily making tea for Ichika and the other girls, now that they've recovered fully. However, she suddenly felt a strong tremor, and she held on to her tea pot with dear life. Once the tremor died down, she let out a sigh of relief and took the tray of tea pot and tea cups to Ichika's room.

"I brought tea, guys."

Rin scratched her head in confusion,

"Charlotte, did you feel it too? That tremor earlier."

"It was quite a big one… It's scary isn't, earthquakes…?" Cecilia added.

Ichika was sitting up on his futon, with all the needles, and life support mask off; a healthy smile on his face,

"Well, it's not uncommon for Japan to get earthquakes…"

Laura crossed her arms suspiciously,

"But something's telling me that it was something else rather than an earthquake…"

Charlotte set the tray down on the floor with a worried look,

"But more importantly, I wonder how Kazuki and Houki's doing with the mission?"

Ichika and the girls all thought about it in concern as well, but they would pray that they both would make it out alive.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Houki collapsed weakly onto her knees and kept repeating the same words while bawling,

"Kazuki… Kazuki… Kazuki… Kazuki…!"

 _'Why?! For the likes of me?! I thought you didn't care about us! About me! So why?!'_

Her tears wouldn't stop; all the regret, pain, and held back tears blew out in that moment.

"I love you… I love you Kazuki…"

However, her voice would no longer reach him.

"I couldn't say this before, but I can say this now… So please… come back…"

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

July 7th, 2100; it was a gloomy day for the IS academy students. Houki had come back via the government's carrier ship all alone to tell the sad news to her friends.

Rin had run away to a place no one would find her, Charlotte had locked herself in her room and spent the days crying alone, Cecilia was so shocked, she had to receive psychological help from her home country, Britain, thus, she left Japan, and lastly, Laura had drowned herself in training and her work with the mercenary and completely shut herself down.

Ichika was arrested for a month for assaulting a federal agent, and Houki fell into a deep depression.

However, Tabane's reaction when Houki broke the news to her was by far the worst out of the others. She refused to believe that Satoshi Kazuki had died in the explosion, and spent day and night searching for him, but to no obvious avail. Her depression drove her so far to the extent where she created a soulless robot resembling Kazuki and fooled herself into believing he was alive. Chifuyu, enraged, had a serious confrontation with her and forced her to accept Kazuki's death. And Tabane did and it brought her back to reality, but with a consequence of Chifuyu and Tabane's friendship turning for the worst.

 **2 months later…**

Houki was back at the compound where her and her friends had spent the summer excursion 2 months ago. She was sitting alone on the same rocky cliff top as the one from 2 months ago where she had confronted Kazuki about his reason for being in the academy.

"You were always lying to us, Kazuki, but it was always for us... and I hated it... but thanks to you lying about giving me the sleeping drug, I was able to forgive Nee-san and we were able to go back to the way things were as before."

She held a small, highly decorated, tea box, tightly in her hands.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"W-What's this…?"_

 _Ichika held out a small box wrapped in fancy present wrappings with a sad look in his face._

 _"On the morning of your birthday, Kazuki came to me and told me to give this to you… He said you would be happier if I gave this to you instead of him… I still don't really know what he meant by that, but you know something about it, don't you?"_

 _Houki took the wrapping off to see a fancy text that read,_

 ** _Supreme Earl Gray_**

 _Houki covered her mouth and tears began to pour again when she saw the text._

 _Ichika chuckled wistfully,_

 _"He mentioned it a lot… How this was your favourite tea."_

 _In between her sobs, she tried to chuckle,_

 _"That… That idiot… It's a fake brand…"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

She held out the precious tea box in front of her,

"So this is what you wanted to give me that time… I just ended up calling you a monster and told you to disappear and never come back…"

She brought her knees closer to her chest and sobbed again,

"Now, I wish I hadn't said those words. I'll apologize how many times you want. I'll even share all my teas with you…"

 **So please, just come back, Kazuki…"**

Houki spent the rest of the day crying under the sunset.

 **A/N: So there you have it... Longest chapter out of all the others; 13k words. I was really eager to finish this chapter, but it still took a VERY long time to finish and perfect.**

 **This is NOT the end of the story; but I'm going to take a short break from writing (cuz let's be honest, I deserve one). Rest assured I have more plans for this story, but I want to re-watch the second season and see if I can get any more ideas.**

 **And I wanted to ask, did anyone shed tears from reading this fanfic? Like, even a little bit? Probably not. I hope you did. But, hopefully not because my fanfic was horrible to read.**

 **I've now opened up my private message system and all of you are more than welcome to share your thoughts with me privately. If you want to say mean things, go ahead! When there's hate, there's that much more love!**

 **And for fun, I've made another poll about what your favorite Kazuki pairing was in this fanfic. Or let me know via PM/review!**

 **Once again, the quality of this fanfic probably wasn't going to be as good without your support, so I would like to sincerely thank you for all your kind feedback.**


	17. IS World Purge-hen Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello dear readers; 't was good while it lasted; my long awaited break. The break went by pretty quickly for me (only a little over a month left until uni starts T-T). I thought of delaying this chapter for a few more weeks, but thought I might as well get it out of the way. That being said, all of my chapters will come out with the highest quality possible. I'm going to take proof reading a little more seriously, but there will still be some horrible grammar mistakes; so I beg for your understanding.**

 **I'll try my best to update frequently, but I'm currently in lack of any good inspiring ideas, so the output of chapters may be slow. If you have any good ideas, I am more than happy to hear them via review/PM (but I wouldn't be bothered to send one). And thank you very much for all your support; I didn't expect the story to get over 100 favs/follows, but I am more than happy with that and will not ask for more.**

 **Finally, the chronological order of the IS anime is, I believe, Infinite Stratos S1, then S2, and then world purge-hen. But my story will progress through the world purge-hen bit first; it would make better sense, and you'll understand what I mean as I dish out more chapters.**

 **Anyway, without further ado,**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **World Purge-hen Chapter 1**

December 24th, 2100… It was Christmas eve; the snow overlaid most of Japan, painting the land gorgeously white. Many Japanese citizens would go on their daily lives; invite friends over for a party, get together with their lovers, or gather up with their families to celebrate the special day of the year.

The students of IS academy were given a short break from classes over the winter, and most of them would return home to their families to celebrate together, but a few stayed behind in their accommodation to spend their break there at the academy, which was perfectly acceptable.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

A girl walked up to the centre of a snowy cliff; the snow crunching under her every careful footsteps. Houki pushed the end of her red scarf to the sides, allowing the wind to let it fly on its own like a flag.

"I told myself many times not to come here again…"

She breathed out heavily; her cloud of warm breath dissipating into the cold sea breeze.

"But I end up coming back every time…"

The young girl looked out into the ocean horizon with waves of melancholy overcoming her emotions,

"Ever since that day, it's been hard for all of us to come to terms with what happened… We ended up separating; Ichika, Cecilia, Rin, Laura, Charlotte…"

Houki sighed again,

"Luckily for Ichika, Orimura-sensei managed to lift some days off Ichika's time in prison and he was free in 2 weeks, and Ichika feels bad for it too…"

She paused, then sat down after brushing some snow off from the ground.

"If you were here right now to see the state of us, you'd probably call us a bunch of sulking wimps and tell us to get up on our feet and enjoy ourselves… I'm sure you wanted us to live a better life, but look at us... So that's why we decided to respect your wish. That's the least we can do for you so you can pass on without any worries. We're all going to meet each other again like old times..."

Houki looked up to the grey sky and saw snow falling again.

"Cecilia called yesterday and said that she'd be coming back. She said she was now okay, but we'll have to see when she gets here…"

"Charlotte started showing up to the cafeteria and seemed to have somewhat gotten over her depression, but I can't say for sure…"

"Rin was at her parent's house in China… She was back about a week ago, and she seemed to have returned to her usual self…"

"And Laura… She's got a much stronger grip on herself than you'd think, and she's returned to her old self… She's on a long break from her work, and she's going to be coming back to the academy."

She smiled sadly,

"I think… I think we just couldn't stand looking at each other… We needed to be alone. Because if we see each other, it reminds us of you… And I guess, it was just too painful for us…"

A nice cold breath in, and she exhaled,

"The only thing now is Nee-san… She just doesn't seem to let you go from her mind… Somewhere inside her, she wants to believe that you're still here with us, but at the same time she knows, and Orimura-sensei forced her to accept it…"

She chuckled a little,

"I'm in no position to say this really… Look at me… I keep coming back to this place to talk to myself every week expecting some sort of change… But it's just lost hope."

She silently watched the steam leave from her mouth.

"Things aren't just the same without you…"

Houki stood up and took a long last look at the ocean before turning away to leave. But then she saw something flash in the corner of her eyes. She turned her gaze back to the ocean surface and noticed two ships; a small fishing boat and a large military naval battleship. It was a standard government issued battleship.

"What's the government navy doing out here…?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Will you really be okay? Coming back so soon after what happened…"

"I'll be fine, Chelsea. Thank you."

"I'll be around so call me if anything happens. Okay?"

Cecilia waved her maid and childhood friend off, driving away in a white limousine. She pressed on her ear muffs to secure it in place and covered her mouth with her white scarf.

'So I'm back… To the IS academy…'

The blonde was just outside the front gate, and she noticed a person waiting for her. It was Charlotte.

"Over here, Cecilia!"

Cecilia didn't notice until she saw the fellow blonde call out to her with her arms waving.

"Charlotte? What are you doing here? In this snowy weather?"

Charlotte smiled, lightly punching herself in the red duck feather parka,

"With this on, this is nothing!"

Her expression quickly shifted into a look of concern,

"Are you really okay now? Did they treat you okay in the hospital?"

Cecilia smiled gratefully,

"Yes, they were all kind and helped me come to terms with what happened."

To Charlotte's relief, she saw the brighter look on Cecilia's face,

"Sulking any more is not going to do us any good. Kazuki-san would have definitely scolded us…"

But it still seemed like it was a heavy topic to talk about for the two girls, and there was a moment of awkward silence.

"Anyway, we should head inside. Rin should be coming back with some snacks, and Laura should be back from her work with the special forces soon."

"I see… What about Houki-san and Ichika-san?"

Charlotte let out a sad smile,

"Ichika's gone back to his home with Orimura-sensei after being released from prison. And Houki…"

Cecilia tilted her head curiously at Charlotte's slight hesitation.

"Houki's back at the excursion site; the place we were at a couple months ago during the summer… To pay her respect. She said she'll be back shortly."

"That's very much like her, isn't it…" Cecilia let out a wistful grin.

"Yeah… That's true."

 **Ring Ring**

Charlotte felt the phone vibrate in her pocket,

"Hello? Oh is that you Laura? You're already in Japan? Okay. In 30 minutes? Okay, we'll be inside my dorm room."

She closed it shut.

Cecilia placed her hands together pleasantly,

"Looks like everyone except Ichika-san's gathered."

"Well, shall we go in then?" Charlotte gestured towards the gate, and they both walked in through and towards the student accommodation.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Meanwhile, at Orimura's residence, Ichika was doing the dishes and cleaning around the house. He then heard the front door open and close, and saw Chifuyu walk in covered with snow.

"Welcome home, Chifuyu-nee. Looks like it's snowing pretty heavily outside."

Chifuyu threw off her scarf and bag,

"Mmm… It's never snowed this much before… Oi Ichika, get me a can of beer from the fridge."

"Again? Chifuyu-nee's been drinking too much lately… It's not healthy."

"Just get me some."

Ichika groaned in protest, but eventually took a can of beer and handed it over to his sister reluctantly.

Chifuyu took it and downed the can in one gulp,

"Kaaah! That's the stuff." She let out a refreshing sigh of comfort.

Ichika dried off the last plate and washed his hands,

"We have about a month until school starts, right? It's not going to be the same again, is it…? Not without Kazuki…"

Chifuyu had already taken out a second can of beer and downed more than half of it.

She didn't say anything, but her mind was occupied with what had ensued after what had happened the day after Kazuki destroyed the Gospel along with himself.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"We will now begin the UN meeting to discuss about the issue regarding that Gospel case… All representatives be seated."_

 _World leaders were sat on a round table, and in the centre, members of the IS academy could be seen sitting still with an atmosphere of oppression. The government agent woman was with Houki and Chifuyu sat side by side. But there was also one other person sitting with them. She had short bright turquois hair, and held a blue hand fan. Sarashiki Tatenashi; the student council president of the IS academy as well as the IS representative of Russia._

 _The UN chief began,_

 _"So, Shinonono Houki. Where is your sister?"_

 _But Houki seemed lifeless in her current state, and Chifuyu clearly saw that; she was not in the right mind to talk._

 _"I-I do not know…" she said weakly._

 _"Who is this 'Satoshi Kazuki' person?"_

 _The question was also directed at the Japanese leader, and so he answered simply,_

 _"Unfortunately, a person by the name doesn't exist. He isn't registered as one of our citizens."_

 _"And you allowed that individual to roam around the country without a proper identification?" The UN chief accused toughly._

 _Tatenashi began,_

 _"But it is undeniable that Kazuki-kun was registered with the academy, and it is clearly stated by law that students are given every right to do what they please as long as they are with us and possess their student IDs."_

 _The UN chief rubbed his thick moustache,_

 _"Then just who is going to take responsibility for the nuclear detonation in the middle of the pacific ocean? The radiation's going to move towards the US and destroy the fishing industry for a while."_

 _This time, the British leader spoke, glaring at the US and Israeli leader,_

 _"How were you in the right mind to equip an IS with a nuclear warhead in the first place. That's in direct violation of the Alaska treaty!"_

 _The Russian leader also pointed his finger at the two leaders angrily,_

 _"That's right! If the Gospel got any closer, it could've affected a large area of our country!"_

 _The Israeli leader raised his hands as to show his own innocence,_

 _"We only worked on the design for the Gospel and provided the US with the materials! We have nothing to do with the nuclear warhead."_

 _Then all stares were directed towards the US leader._

 _"This is a misunderstanding! We did not equip the Gospel with the nuclear warhead! This is the first time we've heard about it!"_

 _"Then you're saying somehow, the warhead grew a pair of legs and hid itself into your Gospel?" Chifuyu challenged._

 _"Phantom Task."_

 _The UN circle all fell silent at the phrase. Phantom Task. An infamous underground organization said to have been born from a big war with IS specialists capable of causing havoc internationally. They all knew what the organization was._

 _The chief nodded gravely,_

 _"So you're suggesting that Phantom task was involved?"_

 _"For some reason, the transport of the finished model to the Hawaiian island was delayed over a week. We didn't think much of it, but it is very possible that the Phantom task had tinkered with the Gospel prototype…" The US elucidated calmly._

 _The British leader only snorted incredulously,_

 _"This is outrageous. You're just blaming it on an organization we all barely know. We do not even know what their objective is."_

 _"No, the Russian Intelligence Bureau reported a suspicious activity in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Our IS representative, Mysterious Lady, can attest to that." The Russian leader gave Tatenashi a short nod._

 _"Phantom Task, huh…"_

 _The chief tapped with his gavel a several times,_

 _"Silence! It doesn't matter if it was Phantom Task or the damn YMCA who planted that bomb! It doesn't change the fact that radiation is spreading!"_

 _The French leader spoke for the first time,_

 _"Then is it not clear? This mission was carried out under Japanese supervision using their own assets."_

 _Another stood up in agreement,_

 _"That's right, the Japanese government should be held responsible!"_

 _"Yeah! Take responsibility!"_

 _"Silence!" The chief ordered with his gavel, but his thought process was akin to the rest of the UN members._

 _The Japanese leader thought deeply to himself, remaining calm and collected._

 _"Very well… But if you pose sanctions on us, then we have no choice but to block all exports of our goods to other countries. We have an economy to protect."_

 _One of the leaders slammed his fist onto the surface of his table angrily,_

 _"You impudent little…"_

 _"How dare you threaten us in your current position!"_

 _"Quiet down!" The chief called for silence once again and gave the Japanese leader some time to talk._

 _"Of course that's something we do not want to do either, so that's why we must come to a consensus."_

 _Chifuyu furrowed her brows suspiciously at that; Tatenashi's reaction was the same._

 _The Japanese man clasped his hands together and continued gravely,_

 _"Japan and the US are both victims of this incident. The Gospel was hacked somehow and it was programmed to detonate upon destruction, and it did."_

 _"So what are you saying?" The chief demanded impatiently._

 _"There was someone on the inside; who intentionally destroyed the IS with the purpose of causing that nuclear explosion."_

 _The chief scratched his beard ponderously,_

 _"So this Satoshi Kazuki… Are you suggesting that he was a spy? Sent from Phantom Task?"_

 _Houki snapped out of her daze and stood up, enraged,_

 _"What the hell are you saying, you crazy geezer! You ordered him to do it! You killed him!"_

 _Chifuyu wanted to have a say in it as well, but she was surprised to see the government agent woman stand up immediately in Kazuki's defence._

 _"With due respect, Chief, there are no solid evidence stating that Satoshi Kazuki is affiliated with the group. And we made the direct order for Satoshi Kazuki to destroy the warhead along with himself…"_

 _The old man in power turned to the Japanese man,_

 _"Is this true?"_

 _The Japanese leader remained indifferent,_

 _"Perhaps there was a miscommunication within the team? Or perhaps you all acted on your own accord? I believe I stressed to you and the minister of defence to prevent the explosion at all cost."_

 _"But sir-"_

 _"I made myself very clear, agent. I set the priority to preventing that explosion. Period."_

 _Houki tried to stand up and scream, but Chifuyu stopped her with a shake of her head._

 _"Why, sensei!? They're lying!" she whispered._

 _"There's nothing we can do here! We have absolutely nothing to cover for him! If we make the wrong move, it's just going to get worse!"_

 _The UN chief looked at the agent woman critically,_

 _"But there is also no evidence supporting the fact that this 'Satoshi Kazuki' is a normal Japanese citizen. In fact, I'm more inclined to believe the Japanese leader. For all we know, Satoshi Kazuki could be an alias; his background is unknown, his family information is unknown. He's got suspicious written all over him."_

 _This time, Tatenashi stood her ground,_

 _"Sir, Kazuki-kun sacrificed his life to protect the IS academy students, which have IS representative candidates from your countries as well. Not just that, he safely dispatched the nuclear bomb without causing any direct damage. I do not think a member of the Phantom Task would do that."_

 _The UN chief tapped several times with his gavel and began wrapping things up,_

 _"I've heard enough. Japan will still be responsible for the clean-up of the aftermath, and we will not impose any sanctions. And as for this Satoshi Kazuki…"_

 _The four women in the centre all had uneasy looks on their faces._

 _"… we will conclude with him having some form of connection to Phantom Task, and he will be marked as a war criminal in the UN blacklist. He's dead now anyways… Are there any objections from the Japanese representative?"_

 _"No, sir. Thank you, sir."_

 _The other leaders all nodded complacently; they seemed to be satisfied with Japan taking most of the responsibility._

 _"What?! That's not even fair! You're using him as a scapegoat! Do you know just what he went through for you assholes?!" Houki finally yelled._

 _Tatenashi raised her hand to argue,_

 _"But sir, we don't have solid evidence-"_

 _The UN chief cut her off,_

 _"That's why we will close this case. Further argument is meaningless waste of time."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Chifuyu felt the anger rile up within her again at the reminder, and she didn't notice the scrunched up can, crushed in the palm of her hands.

"C-Chifuyu-nee, is there something wrong?" Ichika saw little bit of beer drip from her crushed can in fear.

The older woman sighed, ripping out a bit of tissue to wipe off the liquid on the floor,

"-sigh- just an annoying thought came back to me… Don't worry about it. By the way, where's the TV remote?"

"Here."

Ichika handed her the remote and sat on a sofa adjacent to the one Chifuyu was sitting.

Chifuyu surfed through different channels, skipping past useless ads, and dramas. She stopped at a national news channel and for a second, both Ichika and Chifuyu were indifferent. But that was because they didn't understand what was going on.

Chifuyu's eyes widened in absolute shock at what she was seeing on the TV screen. Ichika seemed as if he saw ghost and his skin paled.

"C-C-Chifuyu-nee, could t-that be?!"

But Chifuyu bolted out of the house with a phone in her ears.

"Ah wait, Chifuyu-nee!"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Room 1025. Cecilia and Charlotte both stared at the room door with a look of slight nervousness.

"I've been living here for the past few months, but now that I've come with you, it's a little bit nerve wracking…" Charlotte admitted.

"I know what you mean…" Cecilia felt uncomfortable, but braved up and grabbed the door knob and opened it.

As soon as the door opened, Cecilia could smell something nostalgic… She could smell Charlotte's usual perfume smell, but there was also something else still lingering; something she missed.

One side of the room seemed like it was left untouched for years, and on the other, it was bright, warm and welcoming.

"Don't hesitate to come in, I've got some green tea ready."

"Oh, how nice. We can't get green tea easily in the UK… I missed it very much."

Charlotte poured some for herself and for the fellow blonde.

Cecilia sat on the empty bed with her cup of tea with a light smile,

"I see this side of the room has been left untouched… It brings back memories…"

Charlotte sat on her own bed and sipped on her tea,

"You were in his room before?"

Cecilia nodded with a wistful smile,

"My apologies, you weren't here at the time, but Houki-san, Rin-san and myself used to fight over who was going to sleep in the same room with Kazuki-san."

"…"

Charlotte sipped on her tea quietly, unable to really give a response.

Cecilia quickly changed topics, replacing her wistful frown into a warm smile.

"Anyway, how have you been, Charlotte-san? Was everything okay?"

"Yeah… It was tough for the first month, but I got over it… I've cried more than enough."

"I see…"

Charlotte stared at the tea cup in her hand and it reminded her of that time.

"I remember… during my first day, he walked in on me while I was changing."

"Oh my! Really?"

Charlotte chuckled,

"I was so flustered; you won't believe it! I slapped him so hard, it left a mark on his face."

"Well, he should have seen it coming! It is extremely rude to walk in on a lady dressing herself." Cecilia giggled.

"But I don't blame him… I was pretending to be a boy back then."

"That's true… We were really surprised when you came into class with a skirt."

They talked amongst themselves for the next few minutes, sharing some laughs until a knock interrupted and two familiar girls came in.

"Rin, Laura!"

Rin began with a welcoming grin,

"Oh, isn't this Cecilia? It's been awhile. Good to see you're looking healthy again."

"We heard from the others, how are you feeling now?" Laura added in concern.

"They said I was all good to return to school, thank you. It's really good to see you two again." Cecilia slightly bowed to greet.

Charlotte sat the girls down and handed them each a cup,

"How was your work with the special ops, Laura? Did everything go smoothly?"

Laura took a careful sip,

"It was dull… I wasn't feeling optimum; you could say…"

Charlotte sweat-dropped and laughed,

"Hahaha… That weird way of putting things… Looks like you haven't changed much."

Cecilia turned to Rin curiously,

"Rin-san, where have you been during the past few months? I was worried when I heard that you disappeared…"

The twin-tailed girl set the plastic bag of goodies down and sat comfortably on the untouched bed,

"Oh that… I was just at my parents' place in China. After what happened, they were really the only people I could depend on…"

Rin looked around and saw that some people were missing,

"By the way, where's Ichika and Houki?"

"Houki's coming soon; Ichika isn't going to make it. He's with Orimura-sensei at their house far off from the city.

"Oh, okay…"

There was silence for a few seconds, but Rin quickly dissipated it,

"Anyway! I brought some sweets from the city. There's chocolate in there somewhere too, so dig in."

Laura was already rummaging through the bag and found something she was pleased with,

"Mmm… these look quite… nice…"

Charlotte saw what the platinum haired girl was holding onto and recognized it immediately, "Oh! These are Laura's favourite! How did you know?"

Laura quickly blushed and flailed her arms around,

"N-N-No! T-That's not-"

Rin smiled mischievously, lightly elbowing Laura's sides,

"Fufufu, I remember seeing you staring into that shop with drool falling down from your mouth. It was obvious!"

The entourage giggled to Laura's chagrin and she just sat there with an embarrassed pout.

Cecilia sighed,

"How long has it been… Since we've laughed like this…"

"Too long if you ask me…" Rin laid on her back and stared into the ceiling.

Laura returned to her serious demeanour,

"I'm sure this is what Kazuki wanted. Support each other, laugh together and move on…"

"That's why we're here, to respect his wishes… After seeing us, maybe then, he'll be able to pass on…" Charlotte finalized, and the atmosphere of the room was now a lot bluer than what they all wanted it to be.

They were saved by a knock on the door and a familiar voice,

"Oi, is anyone in? It's me, Houki…"

"Oh, she's here!"

Charlotte walked over to the door and she was about to open it until she heard another familiar voice.

"Houki!"

Houki instantly recognized the voice; it was Ichika. He was running towards her with a pale look on his face; as if he's seen a ghost.

"I-Ichika? What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at your place."

Houki now noticed Ichika's casual set of clothes; jeans and a plain white shirt.

"That's not important right now. There's something you have to see. Charlotte are you in there? Open up, quickly!"

The door opened to reveal a very confused Charlotte and the other curious girls peeking through the door.

"Ichika?"

But before Charlotte could say anything else, Ichika brushed past her and reached for the TV remote.

Rin raised a hand and waved lazily,

"Ayy, Ichika! What's up with you not giving your childhood friend a single call? I was really-"

Ichika looked around and was pleased to see that all the girls were present.

"Alright... Everyone's here. Good."

"Oi, oi... Now you're ignoring me?" Rin deadpanned comically.

Ichika turned the TV on and rapidly began surfing through channels.

"Is something the matter, Ichika-san? You seem a little... hysterical." Cecilia pointed out carefully.

Laura seemed to agree,

"At times of desperation, staying calm is-"

"Got it!" Ichika laid the remote down and fixed his gaze on it like glue.

Charlotte sat down on Kazuki's bed next to Rin with an oblivious look, and Houki sat on Charlotte's next to Cecilia and Laura.

"What's this thing that you want us to watch? We were all worried about you, you know? Was Orimura-sensei able to get you out of jail?" Houki asked, but Ichika pressed his index finger against his nose,

"Shhh!"

Houki crossed her arms with a slightly annoyed grunt and directed her attention to the screen.

It was the national news channel, and it featured two ships; a small fishing vessel and a large naval battleship in the middle of the ocean.

It lightly sparked Houki's memory,

'That's the battleship I saw an hour ago!'

There was a news anchor narrating in the background.

 **"... the Japanese military had shut off all entry into the pacific for unknown reasons, and we could see a naval battleship intercepting a small fishing vessel for something they're carrying at the back. What could it possibly be? If we take a closer look..."**

Rin threw her head back onto the bed and sighed, "What's so special about this coverage? Maybe they're just pirates..."

The other girls all lost focus and all relieved their tension.

 **"...and it's - my goodness... It's a person!"**

The girls all tensed up again and whipped their head around towards the screen again.

 **"It's... a young man entrapped in some kind of... crystal or ice!"**

The cameraman zoomed in on said object and the girls could see the silhouette of a person encased in this crystal-like material.

When the camera zoomed in further, they could see blond hair and two black limbs; a right arm and left leg prosthetic.

 **Crash**

The tea cup Charlotte was holding fell onto the floor and shattered into pieces, but no one noticed it in their trance of shock.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"This is unacceptable! To allow such a thing!"

Meanwhile, Tatenashi was busy arguing over what the UN chief had concluded on the subject of the body found in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The UN chief slammed his hand onto his table surface and demanded,

"Then tell me, Mysterious Lady. What authority does the Academy have over the Japanese naval territory?"

"That's..."

He continued pressingly,

"Furthermore, this has nothing to do with the Academy. It's a dead body found in the depth of the Ocean floor."

This time, the government agent stood up to make her stance,

"But sir, that area is very close to where the Gospel detonated. There is a high chance that-"

"...it's not a chance. It has to be him. It's Satoshi Kazuki." Chifuyu claimed without a hint of hesitation.

The old chief snorted in disbelief,

"Preposterous. He was at the center of a nuclear explosion. There is no way he could be alive."

"So please, let us at least confirm it! Tell the Japanese navy to withdraw. The IS academy will recover the body."

"This meaningless sense of hope you hold onto. Such a pitiful sight."

Chifuyu clenched her fists tightly, but she barely held in her anger.

The UN chief finally turned to the Japanese government to conclude,

"Then, are we safe to conclude with the Japanese government taking care of the body?"

Said man nodded with a satisfied smile,

"Rest assured. There will be no more disturbances coming from us anymore."

The meeting was about to end, but then the UN secretary leaned into the chief's ear and whispered some words. The old man in power widened his eyes and quickly ordered,

"Someone get the national news channel up on screen!"

When the screen flickered into life, there was chaos; flame and smoke engulfed both ships and the horrible sight of soldiers falling into the Ocean to put the fire out from their body can be seen.

There was a loud explosion and something orange and animalistic object flew past the camera.

The whole room murmured obliviously,

"Just what on earth is going on?!"

"Is that... a rabbit?"

On screen, there was an unmanned rabbit IS with carrot drones hovering around the two boats, bombarding them with projectiles and explosives. Chifuyu noticed a label on the IS which read BN-493. She recognized it; it was one of those bunny robots that Tabane makes as a hobby.

The UN chief turned to the Japanese leader angrily,

"Nakamura! What is the meaning of this? Do you think this a joke?! A rabbit robot?!"

The Japanese man was flustered, more than he should have been.

"T-This is a misunderstanding! We do not know what that thing is either!"

The chief continued in a merciless tone,

"What you're doing right now is in direct violation of the Alaska Treaty! Using the IS for military operations like this!"

"Like I was saying, sir, that is a misunderstanding! Why would we want to attack our own navy?"

"Could it be Phantom task?" One of the other leaders suggested.

The Japanese leader, Nakamura was quick to adopt the idea,

"T-That's it! That must be it! Sir, it has to be them!"

Chifuyu spat in frustration,

"What a shame... to be living under a government run by a person like him."

Tatenashi nodded in agreement.

"Look, there's more of them!"

There were two more IS units that came flying in, but these two new units had a pilot. One was a black butterfly IS and the other one was a spider.

The English leader stood up heatedly,

"That unit! It's Silent Zephyr! Phantom task stole it from us a few years ago!"

The US leader also noticed the eight-legged IS unit,

"Not just that! Those bastards have our Arachne!"

The Silent Zephyr took no extra second to shoot the bunny robot through the chest, destroying it completely in a ball of flames.

The meeting room was again filled with whispers of doubt.

"What's going on? I thought they were on the same side."

Chifuyu explained,

"That rabbit robot you saw earlier was one of professor Shinonono's battle drones... The other two as you may have all guessed, are probably from Phantom task."

The Japanese leader slammed his fist onto the surface of the table angrily,

"That little terrorist psychopath! Always getting in my way! How dare she attack my navy!"

Tatenashi sent the man a cold glare,

"No one's dead. The very man you tried to appoint as the IS representative of Japan could be alive, and this is how you react?!"

"I don't know where you're getting this idea of this man being alive; he's dead! Do you not understand? He died in that nuclear explosion!"

But before their heated arguements could continue, there were some movements on the screen. The block of crystal encasing the person inside was wrapped with chains.

"What are they doing...?"

Then a large carrier helicopter flew down close to the crystal and the hatch opened.

Chifuyu carefully watched their every move, and like a lightning shock, it came to her realization,

'Could they possibly be...'

"President Nakamura, they're going to take him away! We should send the military to intercept them. Or perhaps the special forces. If not-"

"I will refuse."

Chifuyu stood up on her spot with her hands clenched tightly into fists,

"What?!"

"We're against IS specialists who seemed to be equipped with at least 2nd or 3rd gen equipment. Sending in the military is just suicide. We won't stand a chance. Plus I will not waste our military resource into saving this one insignificant individual."

Chifuyu was at a loss of words; for the first time in her life, she felt so powerless. There was nothing she could do.

"Then at least let the IS academy engage Phantom task. We should be more than-"

Tatenashi's suggestion was shut down mid-sentence when the UN chief tapped on his gavel,

"That is absolutely not permissible. We are all bound by the treaty; to never use the IS for military purposes. Is the academy willing to break that treaty?"

"..." Tatenashi's rational way of thinking couldn't defy him, and fell silent.

"And what if we really decide to break this treaty? What will you do then?"

Everyone in the room instantly snapped towards Chifuyu who spoke in a threatening tone.

The chief furrowed his brows in amusement, but decided to remain still.

Chifuyu got off her seat and began pacing around the room slowly,

"All those IS cores... They've been distributed all over the world. So the total number of units each country has is minimal..."

"So what are you saying?" Nakamura challenged.

"But most of these units are gathered at the Academy. And I'm willing to bet that there is a handful of representative candidates who are willing to break that treaty to save their fellow classmate. Of course..."

Chifuyu stomped down one of her feet powerfully,

"...I am no exception."

The other leaders all murmured again slightly in concern.

The raven-haired teacher continued in a strong voice,

"Even if the whole world turns to bare their fangs against us, we will risk our lives to protect what is important to us; just like how he risked his to protect us... because... that is our reason to live."

The whole room was left stunned at Chifuyu's bold remark. She quickly left the meeting without another word.

"A-Ah, Orimura-sensei!" Tatenashi followed her out.

The UN Chief rubbed his bushy beard. Then exploded into laughter,

"Hahahaha!"

Nakamura turned to the chief with a confused look on his face,

"Sir?"

The UN chief grinned,

"That woman never changes..."

 **-Flashback-**

 _"...do you understand what you just did?! Even if you didn't withdraw from the tournament, the Japanese spec ops would've safely rescued your brother!"_

 _The young raven-haired girl only looked at the UN chief with uninterested eyes,_

 _"They're against an IS. They stand no chance. They would've just thrown their lives away."_

 _"But now, the whole world is going to criticize you for what you did! Even the Japanese citizens may come to hate you for letting them down!"_

 _"I don't care."_

 _The older man widened his eyes when he saw such determination burning in the young girl's eyes._

 _"Even if the world comes to despise me, I will protect what's important to me. Because that's all that matters to me."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

"Sir shouldn't we put them under house arrest for now in case-"

The old man waved his hand lazily,

"Leave them be. We'll just watch them for now."

The two stolen IS' then carried the crystal into the hatch of the helicopter and flew off into distance out of the camera's sight. It was snowing, sizzling the flames away slowly. The contrast of fire and snow; it was a mesmerizing sight.


	18. IS World Purge-hen Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter's not too long considering the time that it took me to write this. But like last year, I need to re-apply for a visa because I will be transferring Uni to Edinburgh, I got an offer from UCAS (It's a UK thing) in the middle of August, so things are pretty hectic for me right now. Just a thought though; how crazy would it be if any of you are going to attend the same Uni? Very crazy, indeed. But I doubt that a Scottish lad would be reading a shitty fanfic like this one. I could be mistaken, though!**

 **Anyway, you'll notice that the quality of my story has improved slightly (maybe I'm being narcissistic), and that's all thanks to your feedback. Thank you for the ideas by the way, some of them were actually close to how I was going to progress the story, but I assure you, you are in for a big surprise.**

 **On a final note, I really don't care about favs/follows anymore, just leave me a quick review because I really do enjoy reading your reviews/comments about my story; whether it be good or bad. Like always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me, or leave a question in the review; I will get back to you as soon as I see it.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **P.S. Until my Uni term starts, I won't really be able to do much on fanfic, so you'll have to wait until at least 12th of Sept.**

 **Seriously, I'll shut up now.**

 **...**

* * *

 **World Purge-hen Chapter 2**

 **Crash**

Silence ensued even as Charlotte's tea cup shattered; the girls were too busy staring at the TV screen.

Charlotte's eyes widened in shock and she pointed towards the figure entrapped in the ice crystal shakily,

"I-Is that... K-Kazuki?"

It was as if they were watching a supernatural occurrence; they were all frozen in their spot.

Laura trembled,

"I-It can't be... h-he's already..."

"Stopping joking around, Ichika... That's not..."

Rin checked to see if it was just a prank, but Ichika's solemn expression told her otherwise.

That blonde hair, and the piercings; there was no mistaking that it was the person they've mourned for.

It was all coming back to Cecilia; that scene from a couple months ago...

 **-Flashback-**

 _The government carrier ship landed softly in front of Ichika and the girls; it was raining heavily outside._

 _When the hatch of the carrier opened, they saw Houki walk out with an unreadable expression._

 _"Houki! Thank goodness you're back safely!" Ichika and the girls all ran to her with relief._

 _"Are you hurt anywhere?" Charlotte checked over Houki's body in concern._

 _"I'm okay..." Houki spoke in a deathly low tone. Her wet hair covered most of her eyes and it was difficult to see how she was feeling._

 _Laura nodded with a proud smile, "You must be tired... After a tough battle."_

 _"Where's Kazuki, by the way?" Ichika noticed that the blonde was missing and looked around._

 _The others also noticed the empty atmosphere and peaked into the carrier obliviously._

 _"Didn't Kazuki come with you on the carrier?"_

 _Houki remained silent for a few seconds, but unable to hold back anymore, tears began flowing from her eyes to everyone's despair._

 _Charlotte quickly consoled her, patting her back very anxiously,_

 _"H-Hey, what's wrong? D-Did something happen?" Charlotte felt like she already knew the answer to that question, but she still denied the possibly strongly to herself._

 _'No... it can't be... It's a lie...'_

 _Rin's arms lost their strength and drooped down like a strand of string,_

 _"D-Don't tell me he's..."_

 _Ichika and Laura's eyes widened slowly after they slowly began realizing what Houki was trying to say._

" _Is he… Is Kazuki-"_

 _"Wait a moment everyone! What are you all talking about?!"_

 _Cecilia raised her voice angrily; she wasn't going to let such joke of crude taste pass._

 _She continued heatedly,_

 _"You're all being ridiculous! It's obvious that Kazuki-san's injured and is having trouble moving on his own!"_

 _Everyone remained silent and stood still in their spot. They didn't know what to think._

 _Cecilia rushed into the hatch and searched around for Kazuki, tossing her umbrella away, not caring about her school uniform getting drenched in rain._

 _"Kazuki-san! Kazuki-san! Where are you? Are you okay?"_

 _The blonde girl came out with a genuinely confused expression,_

 _"Just where has he run off to..."_

 _She quickly went over to Houki,_

 _"Houki-san? You know where Kazuki-san is, don't you?"_

 _Not getting any response, she shook her lightly,_

 _"You do, right, Houki-san? Please tell me where he is!"_

 _Houki tried to hide her face by tilting her head down, but the tears were dripping freely onto a puddle._

 _Cecilia immediately released her hands from Houki's shoulders and took a couple fearful steps back with panic and dismay in her eyes._

 _"Y-You're lying... You have to be lying..."_

 _She desperately tried to call out for the person she wanted to see the most,_

 _"Kazuki-san! Where are you, Kazuk-"_

 _"He's dead."_

 _Everyone except Houki turned towards the mature female coming from the hatch. Those two words felt like daggers piercing through their soul viciously._

 _It was the government agent; she had her sunglasses off and her ruby pupils seemed rather calm._

 _Ichika's hand shook. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. More like, he didn't want to believe it._

 _"Thanks to him, Japan was saved. But he's no longer with us..."_

 _There was a sense of pity; or perhaps sympathy for the dead in her eyes, but no one noticed it in their fit of despair and denial._

 _Charlotte fell on her knees powerlessly causing a small splash, and from her empty eyes; tears seeped out._

 _Laura's anger quickly overpowered her sadness and glared at the agent,_

 _"You! Because you spouted some nonsense about a suicide mission-"_

 _"It was just an alternative at first. But we couldn't take risks, so the government had to take assertive action."_

 _Listening to all this with pent up rage, Ichika approached the agent with a deathly glare,_

 _"Why would Kazuki just bow down to what you say, huh?! He would never-"_

 _"You're wrong. He didn't bow down to us. He chose to do it himself."_

 _"Don't fuck around with me!" Ichika raised his voice to his maximum; Rin had never seen Ichika get so angry before in her life. Nor did Houki._

 _Ichika's fists shook uncontrollably,_

 _"Why would he do something like that? For a person who hates cliché things; why did he think he had to die for us?!"_

 _"Stop spoiling yourself, child!" This time to everyone's surprise, the agent raised her voice and there were fire in her crimson eyes._

 _"There are times when you have to do things you're strongly against! This isn't some fantasy novel; there is no such thing as a true happy ending! When something is saved, something is lost; when there's happy, there's sad! This is how the world works! As an adult, you have to make these choices, and that's what your friend did."_

 _The agent turned to Houki in disdain,_

 _"But to think he'd sacrifice himself to protect THIS. An arrogant and ignorant little girl who thought she could help. She just ended up causing the death of an invaluable human being."_

 _Houki's eyes widened at the revelation; the agent was right. Because she was too weak, Kazuki had to die in her place._

 _Houki grabbed her head and screeched out loud in sorrow, tears flowing continuously._

 _Ichika couldn't hold his anger back and lashed out at the agent,_

 _"Why you-"_

 _"Ichika stop!" Rin tried to stop him, but she was too late._

 _The punch landed clearly on the woman's cheek, but what ensued after was chaos; there were screams and cries of sorrow. The sky was crying along with them; perhaps to mourn for Satoshi Kazuki's death, or for the sorrow and regret he left behind..._

 _Watching all this, Cecilia felt something break inside her; like a cog lose inside a machine. Her world was falling apart, the sky shattered and she was pulled into the dark void..._

 **-End of Flashback-**

It was a weird feeling; more like confusing. Houki found herself drawn into the screen. She reached out for Kazuki; hoping to pull him back to the safety of his own room.

"Ka... Kazuki..."

"Kyahh!"

Houki snapped out of her trance when there was a loud scream of distress from Cecilia. Everyone turned to see Cecilia curled up in a corner, covering both ears, and tears seeping from her tightly closed eyes.

"Cecilia? What's the matter?" Laura was taken back by her sudden outburst.

They could all hear her heavy panting and she was shaking uncontrollably.

Rin quickly gestured for the door,

"She's having a mental breakdown! Someone help me!"

Rin quickly took Cecilia by her arm, and Laura took the other. They both carefully took her out of the room, leaving Houki, Ichika and Charlotte by themselves.

"Houki, that's him, isn't it? It's Kazuki, isn't it?!"

A single spec of tear fell from one of Houki's eyes,

"I thought he was dead this whole time... But he's right there. Still in one piece."

For a second, both girls stared blankly at the tv screen, but Houki quickly stood up and began packing her battle suit into her bag.

"Oi, what are you doing, Houki?" Ichika asked, confused.

"Isn't that obvious? We have to go get him."

"Wait, but we don't even know where he is." Charlotte added

"I know where he is. It's at the summer excursion compound. I saw those ships off in the middle of the ocean."

Charlotte widened her eyes, then quickly did the same.

"You're 100% sure? That he's there?"

Houki nodded almost assertively,

"There's no mistaking it. It's really close to where we both fought the Gospel."

Charlotte finished and slammed the closet door shut,

"I'm done; let's go, quickly!"

"Alright! Houki, let's get going!"

"Wait!" Houki stopped the two in their track and fixed her attention to the screen.

Charlotte paused and saw that something was happening on TV. Ichika squinted to see exactly what was going on.

There were explosions and a cloud of fire, and in the middle of it all, there was an unmanned rabbit IS, approaching the block of ice crystal very carefully. It reached out for Kazuki entrapped inside, but a powerful laser shot straight through the IS' back, blowing it into pieces. Two more IS units appeared with a carrier; a spider and a butterfly.

The news reporter at the scene was frantic,

 **"Unbelievable! There's so much going on here! So much explosions and chaos! Just what on earth is going- wait what? Phantom Task? Okay. We just received a report saying that it's Phantom Task! What's to say, it also speaks of a possibility that the man inside the crystal could be a member!"**

"What? Phantom Task?!" Ichika stammered.

"What are they saying?! There's no way that's possible!" Charlotte pointed out.

"But what is the underground organization doing here?"

The two IS then proceeded to carry the large crystal into the hatch of the carrier.

"Wo...wait! Houki, what are they doing?!"

"I-I don't know!"

The hatch closed and with the two IS escorting the carrier, they flew off into the distance.

"Whatever they are, they're getting away! We have to stop them! Come on!" Ichika ran over to the door and gestured impatiently.

Without a moment of hesitation Houki ran to the door to open it, but it opened to reveal Chifuyu and Tatenashi standing before them with grave expressions on their faces. Just past them were Cecilia, Rin and Laura with looks of confusion, much like their own.

"Sensei... and you are..."

Tatenashi spoke quickly,

"Sarashiki Tatenashi, your student council president. But that's not important right now. As you've already seen, Kazuki-kun has been abducted; by Phantom Task."

"But for what reason?" Charlotte enquired desperately, but Tatenshi only shook her head.

"We don't know. At least we suspect that your sister, Shinonono Tabane, knows how to find him."

"But do you know where my sister is?"

Chifuyu nodded,

"I've known that idiot for more than 10 years; she probably hasn't moved a single inch from that place."

"But is it okay? I mean with what happened last time with her... I heard you two had an argument..." Ichika asked carefully.

"That's the least of my problem right now. And I'm sure now that Satoshi's involved, she's probably focused on him too."

Tatenashi turned around and spoke to Cecilia carefully,

"Have you calmed down now?"

Cecilia shivered slightly, but showed that she was well,

"Y-Yes, I will be okay, thank you... I apologize for the trouble..."

Chifuyu then motioned to the girls commandingly,

"Alright. If that's all the question out of the way, pack up your stuff and assemble at the front gate. We're going to get Satoshi back."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The black carrier ship landed heavily on a large helipad on a privately owned island. Armed mercenaries stood guard everywhere, some of them patrolling the area. In the distance, there was a large white dome, seemingly a laboratory for IS development and research.

The butterfly IS and the spider IS both landed softly next to the carrier.

"Tch! Why do I have to be wasting my time to escort a dead kid all the way here?" The pilot of the Arachne spoke in a rough, delinquent-like tone.

"It was Squall's orders. All that's required of you is to follow it, Autumn."

"I told you not to call me by my name casually! How many times do I have to tell you, you little brat?"

The pilot in Silent Zephyr looked away with a sharp "hmph" to Autumn's annoyance.

"I don't know what Squall-san is thinking, but I don't get how this kid's got her interest... M, do you know this kid?"

The other Phantom Task member, M, scoffed,

"It's funny how you're calling this man a kid when you're no older than him. Did you know? He's 19."

Autumn laughed,

"And what's even funnier is that you'd know how old he is. How would you know?"

M stood silently for a second,

"... It's none of your concern."

"See, you do know him. What, he's not your boyfriend or anything like that, is he?" Autumn let out a sarcastic smirk.

M sighed,

"It's there in the mission report. You'd know if you bothered to even look at it."

"This little..."

Before they could continue their bickering, the hatch opened and a few mercs came running out, pushing the large crystal out of the carrier.

M and Autumn took a closer look at their target. The blonde inside the crystal was in a horrible state. His right metal arm was a broken scrap and his other arm wasn't even there. He had multiple bullet wounds in his chest, stomach and they could see the blood staining what was left of his school uniform. His eyes were half-open, and they could see the lifelessness in them.

"He sure took a beating... But I'm surprised his body didn't completely burn into ashes." Autumn suggested, looking at the lifeless youth in slight pity.

"..."

M only stared at the face of Kazuki inside the crystal intently.

"Oi, what are you staring at? He's a dead man for goodness sakes."

M quickly looked away,

"Anyway... Carry the body into the laboratory and start the decrystallization. I will report back to Squall."

"Don't order me around, you little shit! That's what I was going to do!"

With grunts and murmurs of annoyance, Autumn carried Kazuki's body towards the lab, and left M behind on the helipad.

M turned around to stare into the ocean horizon with a melancholic expression,

 _'In a situation like this, what would you have done, Vash-san...?'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Ichika and the girls all stepped out of Chifuyu's black SUV and looked around in slight awe. It was a grand Japanese style mansion; it was isolated in the middle of a forest.

"So this is professor Shinonono Tabane's residence..."

Chifuyu switched the engines off and got out,

"Alright, we should head in quickly. The stealth field doesn't extend this far."

"A stealth field?" Ichika probed.

"This is how Tabane stays off radar and well hidden from satellite scans."

Without another word, they all walked in through the front gate, keeping close to the raven-haired teacher. On their way, the girls saw a pretty garden with a small pond with some koi fishes swimming inside.

It was still fresh in Chifuyu's memory; the koi fishes, the bamboo pond decoration, and the occasional scraps of metal lying on the floor randomly.

But she stopped in her tracks when she saw a silver-haired girl with striking resemblance to one of her own students.

It was Chloe Chronicle. She had a her usual expression; both her eyes almost closed, and her relaxed posture.

She bowed,

"You must be from the academy. I am Chloe Chronicle. I tend to Tabane-sama's needs."

Ichika and the girls all gaped at the short girl.

"I-It's L-Laura?!"

Laura suddenly raised her guard; something clicked in her mind as something came to her realization.

"You... Don't tell me you're also..."

 _'There is no mistaking it... She's a test tube baby like me... A DNA reinforced specimen... But unlike me, she's...'_

Chloe let out a quick grin,

"That would be correct. I am like you, but not quite. A more complete version of you, I would say."

Laura seemed like she had millions of questions to ask, but she suppressed those feelings. What was important wasn't who this girl was; it was bringing Kazuki back.

Chloe then gestured towards the main entrance,

"Tabane-sama is expecting you all. She is in the basement. Please follow me."

The group followed.

"So what is she doing? Has she found out where Kazuki is?" Chifuyu asked.

"Tabane-sama had been working to hack the government satellite for the past few hours and now she's running a thorough satellite scan in a 50km radius."

Charlotte gasped in awe,

"She managed to sabotage the government's satellite? In a few hours?"

"As expected of the genius that created the IS..." Rin trailed off in amazement.

The group walked past a workshop filled with useless parts; they also came across several training robots in the form of rabbits, but they were fairly worn down.

Just around a corner, there was Tabane, furiously typing away at her digital keyboard in her strange looking chair.

"Tabane-sama, your guests have arrived."

Tabane turned around to greet them all with her usual cheery smile,

"Yaho! It's been awhile! It's me, everyone's super star, Shinonono Tabane."

Chifuyu sighed,

"They know who you are, skip the introduction."

"Chi-chan! It's so good to see you again! Chi-chan was really angry at me last time, but you're okay now, right? Right?" Tabane leaped at the instructor and pulled on her arm cutely.

A tick mark appeared on her forehead and she angrily bonked Tabane on her head,

"This isn't the time for your nonsense. Kazuki's been taken by a group of terrorists."

Tabane let go, rubbing the lump on her head, but she noticed Houki suddenly grab her hand with a look of desperation,

"Do you know where Kazuki is, Nee-san?

She snapped out of her childish demeanor and began with her rare, but serious look,

"The system should almost be finished with the satellite scanning. Once that's done, finding out where those thieves took my Kazu-chan shouldn't be hard."

Cecilia carefully raised her finger and elicited Tabane to nod for her permission to ask,

"We heard that you deployed an unmanned IS to rescue Kazuki-san... What happened exactly?"

Tabane pouted in sadness,

"Those mean people destroyed my favorite battle bunny bot, BN-493! Then took Kazu-chan away and just disappeared in the middle of the pacific!"

The group only hummed with puzzled looks on their faces.

"But isn't that... bad...? I mean hacking into the government's satellite?"

Tabane beamed with so much confidence in her tone,

"Nyahaha! Who cares? I don't! Besides, I have to return a favor, or else, it'd be rude! Right, Chi-chan?"

The purple-haired girl latched back onto Chifuyu's arm, rewarding herself with another steaming lump on her head.

Chloe Chronicle observed the exchange with a rather indifferent expression, then something popped up on her phone.

"Tabane-sama, the scanning is complete. We should quickly take a look."

Tabane jumped on her spot excitedly,

"Oh! Looks like it's finished!"

Without another word, she swivelled her chair right around and carefully stared at the picture of the surface of the ocean. Ichika and the rest of the girls all tried to lean in to see.

"Well? Do you see anything?" Chifuyu stood with her arms crossed impatiently, waiting for anyone to inform her.

All that the girls could see from the satellite image was a clean ocean surface; there wasn't anything flying across the pacific.

"There's nothing there." Laura said.

Tabane rested her chin on the palm of her hands and hummed ponderously.

"She's right... I can't see anything."

"Were we too late? Have they already reached land?" Charlotte asked fearfully.

"There's no way! A carrier ship like that can't travel that quickly! It has to be around somewhere." Houki denied strongly; she could tell. Perhaps it's because she rode one before.

Chloe Chronicle also saw that there was nothing on the large body of water, and found that very suspicious. She turned her attention to Tabane who kept staring at the screen,

"Tabane-sama?"

Tabane's hand then landed on the mouse and began shifting data around,

"From the outward appearance, it looks like there's nothing there..."

She opened up the settings window and tweaked the view option,

"...but what if we look at the energy wave readings?"

The instant Tabane pressed the enter key in her keyboard, a cluster of red dots appeared a few dozen kilometers off of the East coast of Japan.

"H-Hey, what's that? It's just right next to the country!" Charlotte exclaimed excitedly.

"But what does high energy wave tell us? There's plenty of red dots in the middle of Japan too." Ichika asked, perplexed at the new development.

Rin slapped him lightly in the head and scolded,

"You stupid! The red dots show only in urban regions where there are machines and stuff. But these are in the middle of the ocean!"

"But that could only mean..."

"There is something there hidden from satellite view; maybe an island. They're using a stealth field." Tabane deduced.

Houki slightly grinned hopefully,

"That's it! Energy wave signals are leaking because the stealth field is trying to cover the whole island! It's not powerful enough to conceal everything!"

"Bin-poh! That's right! As expected of my Houki-chan!"

Laura shifted impatiently,

"Okay, so we know where they are now. We should quickly start heading there."

Ichika also paced around eagerly,

"What are we waiting for? Let's go then!"

Chifuyu rooted Ichika and the girls in place,

"Don't get cocky. At times like this, there is nothing more important than calming yourselves to think rationally. One small mistake can be fatal; Kazuki's life is depended on it."

The group stood still in silence; Chifuyu was right. If they rushed in head-on recklessly, Kazuki could be the one to suffer the consequences.

Chifuyu motioned everyone to huddle closer,

"So... here's the plan..."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **"So how is our target doing? Did you manage to break him free?"** There was a mature female voice on the other side of M's phone.

"Autumn's been trying for a few hours, but she hasn't managed to even put a crack on it."

 **"-sigh- How about the casualties? Did you kill anyone?"**

M looked away in annoyance,

"What's it matter to you if a few people die?"

 **"I thought I told you to keep the casualties to the minimum. It wasn't a request. It was an order as your superior."**

"Tch, looks like you've made yourself comfortable in the position of Phantom Task's new leader, Squall."

 **"He's not going to like your way of thinking. Did you already forget?"**

"He?"

 **"The White Mask, your mentor. You know he's going to find out."**

"..."

Squall sighed again,

 **"Well, it doesn't matter now... But be mindful of what you're doing next time."**

"..."

 **"Is that understood, M?"**

M obeyed bitterly,

"...Whatever."

There was a light chuckle,

 **"Good. I like honest girls. Oh and make your way back to the headquarters; no use wasting your time there. I have a new task for you."**

"What about Autumn?"

 **"I'm sure she'll get it done soon enough. Just leave her to finish it. I'll let her know."**

M hung up. She enjoyed the sunset scenery a while longer before deploying her IS.

The mercs around here saluted, and off she went.

 **Meanwhile**...

There were loud noises of machinery and tools in the laboratory. The lab had a large open space for field testing, but today, they made an exception and had the place emptied out for Kazuki's frozen body.

Autumn deactivated the diamond-tipped drill and wiped a fair amount of sweat off. She had made herself at home and had changed back into her black tank top and a pair of shorts. She tossed the drill to the sides in frustration,

"Screw this! Plasma cutter's no good. Ionic pulse laser's overheated, and the drills no use... Just what the hell is this thing made of?"

She took a cigar out and took a puff,

"Tch! M just went ahead and pushed this onto me like it's none of her business... How dare she just leave by herself. Even if it was Squall-san's orders..."

The ginger then smirked as a new idea popped up in her head. She deployed her IS and had her machine gun aimed at Kazuki at point blank range.

She fired with a look of a maniac, and the room flashed red with every shot due to the high powered calibers of Arachne's weapon. She emptied the whole clip and a thick dust cloud erupted. She turned the ventilation on and the dust disappeared gradually. To Autumn's surprise there was not a single scratch on the crystal.

"Are you serious? Am I going to need a nuke to get you out?" But then again, he had survived a nuclear explosion, so that was definitely not a viable solution.

Autumn deactivated her IS and threw her cigarette bud away,

"Ughh! I give up! To hell with this dead kid!" She kicked her frustration away at the crystal block, rewarding herself with the indescribable pain in her toes.

 **"Sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but we have a situation..."**

There was a broadcast from one of the mercs resounding all over the room.

"What is it?" She drawled lazily.

 **"We've detected a couple unauthorized IS units entering the stealth field."**

"Are they government dogs?"

 **"We cannot confirm. There is a carrier ship with them- Arghhh!"**

With the merc's painful grunt there was silence.

"Oi, what's wrong? Are you there?"

The silence continued until Autumn heard footsteps; high heels. There was another mature female voice that she was unfamiliar with.

 **"Hiring wimps like these to protect your assets? Phantom Task must be out of their budget. Maybe that's why you took Satoshi."**

"Who the hell is this?!"

The voice chuckled,

 **"Me? If you want to know so badly, I'll tell you..."**

Autumn produced a holographic keyboard and moved her hands quickly. She was trying to get access to the security camera. She managed to get through and a screen popped up showing Chifuyu standing on multiple unconscious bodies of the mercs. She wore a unique battle suit, carbon fibre black with occasional plates of armor covering her shoulder, arms and chest.

Autumn's eyes widened in shock as she immediately recognized what she was wearing.

"B-Brunhilde? Are you Orimura Chifuyu?"

Chifuyu grinned,

 **"I'm someone you shouldn't have messed with."**

Then, with the pair of katana she held in her hands, she slashed the camera, destroying it completely.

Autumn clicked her tongue,

"Tch! Don't joke around with me! They never told me about this! I'm getting the hell out of here!"

Autumn deployed her Arachne and tied the crystal block with her artificial web. She blew a hole through the roof with her gun and flew out, dragging Kazuki along.

The ginger tried to make her escape but a burst of gun shots stopped her, the projectiles barely missing her.

She was surrounded by 6 IS units. It was Ichika and the girls.

"Where do you think you're going?" Charlotte glared at her with her fingers dancing around the trigger.

Laura warned,

"You're outnumbered. So I suggest you turn yourself in."

"But before any of that, let Kazuki go." Houki added venomously, her katanas screaming for the enemy's blood.

Autumn didn't yield; how dare a bunch of kids tell her what to do?

"Don't get ahead of yourselves, you little-"

She made a quick motion to reach for her gun, but a single powerful sniper shot slapped the gun away from her hand.

Smoke oozed from the barrel of Cecilia's sniper rifle and she grinned victoriously,

"And please do not try anything funny. We are all very serious."

Rin and Ichika tightly gripped their weapons.

Autumn felt the cold sweat run down her temple. There was only thing she could do.

With all her strength, she threw the crystal at Cecilia.

Cecilia was going to fire, but she was taken by surprise when the crystal flew towards her.

"Kazuki-san!"

Cecilia tossed her rifle away to catch the crystal encasing Kazuki, but the force made her lose balance.

"Cecilia!"

Autumn took this chance to make her move. She took out what seemed like a smoke canister and broke it with her melee weapon.

"Smoke screen!" Ichika yelled, preparing his ignition boost to charge the Phantom Task operative.

Grey smoke blew out from the small canister, blocking Ichika and the girls' vision.

Houki angrily swung her weapon in an attempt to blow the smoke away,

"She's going to get away!"

"Wait don't shoot! We're going to get caught up in a crossfire!" Charlotte yelled out.

"Damn it!" Rin cursed bitterly.

Regardless, Ichika activated his ignition boost and blindly rushed towards the general direction of where his enemy went.

But his swing felt empty and didn't connect. Once the smoke dissipated, the Arachne was already gone.

Ichika spat bitterly,

"We lost her..."

"Everyone! Over here!" Cecilia called out to the others.

Ichika and the girls all snapped out from their defeated spirit and huddled around Cecilia who held the crystal with Kazuki inside.

"Kazuki!" They all said in unison, a smile of hope showing on their faces.

But the smile soon disappeared as they saw the state of Kazuki for the first time.

Everyone's eyes widened in horror; Charlotte covered her mouth to hide her shock, Cecilia fought to prevent tears from falling, but eventually she succumbed to her emotions.

"My goodness... Kazuki... what happened to you..." Ichika looked at the horrible state of his close friend in pity.

His bright blonde hair was still there as always, but his arm was missing, and the other arm was a broken mess of a machine. His white IS academy uniform was stained with blood with occasional bullet holes. They couldn't bear to see his half-open eyes as they were empty and lifeless; what was bright blue was now faded.

Houki reached out for his face, but all she felt was the cold and hardness of the material encasing Kazuki. The face that always smiled, the eyes that were always so full of energy...

 _'Kazuki...'_

 **"Were you all able to recover your target?"**

It was Chifuyu speaking. She had come out onto the shore with a relaxed look, completely unscathed. But behind her was an island with tens and hundreds of unconscious mercs that were at Chifuyu's mercy.

"Y-Yes, we got Kazuki, but Phantom Task got away..." Ichika reported in a low voice.

 **"That's good enough. We got what we came here for. Carry him into the carrier. It's landed by the shore. We're heading back to the Academy."**

"Back to the Academy? But what about my sister?" Houki asked in confusion.

 **"Your student council president has informed the school about it and should have sorted things out by now. Tabane's making her way there too."**

"Understood." They all answered and made their way towards Chifuyu and the carrier.

Chifuyu saw the sun fall beneath the ocean surface, and the stars were out to greet her. Her long hair, tied to a ponytail, swayed in the sea breeze calmly.

 _'Hang on, Kazuki. We'll get you out.'_

Chifuyu took one last look at the horizon before turning for the carrier hatch.


	19. IS World Purge-hen Chapter 3 -Final-

**A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter; because this will be the final chapter of the arc/season, it's a bit of a long chapter.**

 **As always, I would like to thank you for your continued patience and interest for my fanfic, I will try my best to make it worth you** **r time. Again, if you could leave me a quick review, that would be great. I read every single reviews and treat it like a deity.**

 **Don't have much to say today, so you can get on with the story.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **World Purge-hen Chapter 3 -Final-**

It was snowing heavily outside and the gang took longer than normal to return to their academy. By the time they arrived, Tabane was already setting up the Academy Lab with equipments for defrost and decrystallization.

Now they were all gathered in the basement laboratory of the Academy where only the staffs could have access. Tabane finished setting up and walked in front of the crystal to examine the crystal like material, but the boy inside distracted her.

Tabane stared into Kazuki's lifeless eyes with remorse,

 _'Tom... What happened to you...'_

From behind a protective glass chambre, Ichika and the girls watched nervously, crossing everything they had in hopes of successfully freeing Kazuki from this ice prison.

Also with them, Chifuyu watched the sad look on Tabane's face as she tenderly caressed the block of crystal. But Chifuyu was getting impatient.

"Tabane! Hurry up with the procedure."

Tabane stood staring at the blonde for a second longer before turning around with her usual bright smile.

"Okie, Dokie! We will begin the decrystallization now! And good job getting Kazu-chan back by the way."

She threw a quick thumbs up and then reached for something from her large trunk of equipments.

Tabane first took out a small remote and entered the glass chamber.

"Um... What's that?" Ichika looked at the small thing curiously.

"Mm? This? This is the remote for the super high frequency electromagnetic wave transmitter installed around the room." Tabane answered casually.

"So that means...?"

Tabane smiled and gave him a thumbs up,

"A super microwave!"

Tabane pressed the button and the room glowed a mixture of red and purple. It was so bright it was slightly hurting their eyes.

Rin sweatdropped nervously,

"Are you sure this is safe? For Kazuki? For us?"

Speaking of which, they were all encased in a glass room thinner than a slice of bread and it slightly made them uncomfortable.

"These glasses are heat, frost, corrosion, explosive resistant, and on top of that, it is made to reflect harmful electromagnetic waves of a specific wavelength."

It was like foreign language to him and so Ichika turned to Houki for comprehension.

"She means we're safe in here."

Ichika sweatdropped, confused as to if he should be relieved or dumbfounded.

30 minutes had elapsed, and there was absolutely no visible sign of the ice crystal melting.

"Is it not working?" Charlotte peeked over to the monitor to take a look at the readings, but even she couldn't understand what was happening.

Tabane skimmed over it and quickly began thinking,

"The crystal's much stronger than I thought it was... I thought it would have melted it a little bit."

"Tabane-san, are you sure the machine is working properly?" Ichika reached for the glass chamber door connecting directly to the room Kazuki was in, but Chifuyu stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To check if the things are working?"

Chifuyu leaned slightly sideways and saw the readings,

"If you open that door now, we will probably all burn into ashes in less than a quarter of a second."

Ichika's face turned purple and quickly stepped away from the door. The other girls also gulped anxiously.

Tabane broke into a laughter,

"Nyahaha! Chi-chan is just being silly!"

Ichika and the girls all relaxed a little.

"What... so it was just a jok-"

"The whole school is going to be engulfed in flames if you open that door." Tabane interrupted suddenly in a serious tone.

Cecilia looked at Ichika and spoke in a low voice,

"Ichika-san..."

Ichika nodded as he slowly walked away from the door, stricken with fear.

"Yeah... I'm not going anywhere near that ever again.

Tabane readjusted the settings for maximum output, and Laura noticed it much to her shock,

"You're increasing the power even more?"

"By the looks of things, the decrystallization might take a little longer than I thought." Tabane said.

"How much longer?" Houki pressured.

Tabane placed a finger on her lips and pondered for a second.

"Mm... At this rate, we will have to wait about a week and see..."

Chifuyu closed her eyes and nodded gravely,

"I see... a week. Then we should go back to class. Let's not forget the fact that we are still working to become professional IS pilots."

"A week...?" Ichika sighed in frustration. But this was to be expected. The crystal protected Kazuki from a nuclear explosion; this was going to take time.

 _ **=Perspective Change=**_

So we had no choice but to return to class and go about our daily lives.

No one else in the school except for the student council president knew about Kazuki being kept in the basement. It would be chaos if they did.

But the rumors were going around amongst the other students.

"I heard that it was Kazuki on the news yesterday! Is it true?"

"But didn't the government announce his death a few months ago?"

"I tell you, it has to be him! That blonde hair! The government lied to us!"

"But what can they do... Phantom Task's got him... I wonder what they'll do..."

"What do they want with him anyway?"

"Could he have some kind of connection to them?"

Suddenly, Houki stood up from her seat angrily,

"Of course not! Don't jump to conclusions if you don't know anything."

"I would appreciate it if you all could refrain from making ridiculous assumptions." Cecilia added in annoyance.

The class fell silent and slightly shrunk in guilt.

I tried to ease a bit of tension, and laughed a bit awkwardly,

"Hey, they're just throwing around ideas! None of us actually do think that he's one of those terrorists. So just sit back down, please?"

Houki sighed in reluctance, but fell back onto her chair, and Cecilia did the same.

That's right. There was no way Kazuki was one of them... Phantom Task was responsible for the massive explosion at the UN building in Russia several years ago. A lot of people were killed that day and it remains as the most deadly terrorist attack in recent history. There were rumors that the one responsible for the destruction was a single person, but I don't believe it. All I needed to know is that they are a dangerous bunch.

Everyday after each class, Chifuyu-nee would disappear from the room to see how Kazuki was doing; we all did, but there was nothing different. Tabane-san would just be sat in front of her monitor, carefully looking for any changes. Day after day, it was the same routine, as if we were stuck in an infinite loop; it felt like an eternity.

Then, 2 months had gone by; nothing had changed.

"It's already been 2 months, Tabane..."

Tabane-san shrunk slightly under Chifuyu-nee's intense glare.

"...so why isn't there a single scratch on that ice?"

"I tried everything, Chi-chan... The D-398 mega drill broke, the electromagnetic radiator is overheated; nothing's working... that material is just too hard..."

I felt a sense of despair in the room; the girls all stared into the isolated chamber powerlessly. Was there nothing I could do? He was always there for us when we needed him, but when he needs us the most, is this all we can do?! To suck on our thumbs and wait for a miracle?! Don't screw around with me.

I don't know what possessed me back then, but I barged through the glass door and into the chamber. I can only thank for the fact that the radiator was off at that time.

"Ichika?" Rin didn't notice the dark look on my face and tried to follow me in, but I closed the door behind me.

I deployed Byakushiki and took out my Yukihira. With a scream, I struck down on the prison that was holding Kazuki several times,

"Break! Break! BREAK!"

I didn't see the pained look on my friends' faces as I hacked away at the crystal-like material. But like Tabane-san said, it wasn't doing anything.

"Damn it!" I reeled my weapon back for a powerful swing but a phone ring stopped me.

Everyone turned to the sound coming from Tabane-san's pocket. She took out her phone and slowly turned it around, and in that moment, her eyes widened after seeing who the caller was.

"Nee-san?"

Tabane-san then gave us all a half confused look,

"It's Kazu-chan."

"What?!"

"But... how is that possible?"

"Does someone else have his phone?"

I instinctively took a step back from Kazuki's entrapped body and looked over him. Then I saw a small spec of light shining through his pocket.

"No... His phone is in his pocket..."

Cecilia looked to confirm,

"He's right. I can see it in Kazuki-san's pocket."

"But how can it be ringing without-"

"What are you doing? Pick it up!" Chifuyu-nee demanded, but I was thinking the same thing.

Tabane-san carefully flipped her phone open and answered,

"H-Hello? Kazu-chan?"

 **"It's been awhile, Tabane. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's me."**

I didn't recognize the voice. It was a voice of a girl of our age; bright, yet slightly tired. But we noticed that it was a voice Tabane-san knew.

"I-Is that you, Ene-chan?"

"Ene... chan?" Laura repeated in confusion, and the looks on me and the others were pretty much the same.

"But how? I deactivated you a long time ago, before Kazu-chan left for the academy."

 **"You did. But I made a program of myself inside his core. I've been watching over this idiot master ever since."**

Suddenly, something appeared in front of me like some kind of a hologram. It was a massive chunk of pixels at first, but it materialized into a girl with a quick flash **(A/N: AI, Takane Enomoto from ch 1).**

If there was one word to describe her, it would be blue. Blue twintails, teal eyes, and a blue jumper too big for her.

"Wha... who is that? Master...?"

I wanted to ask the same question, but Charlotte did it for me.

"Is she a projection?" Rin added ponderously.

The holographic girl hovered around and looked at each and every one of us with an amused grin.

 **"Ichika, Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte, Laura, and..."**

She finished with a slight glare,

 **"...and Houki."**

For some reason, Houki looked down slightly when the girl directed her glare at her. I had a feeling the girl had some kind of animosity towards Houki, but I wasn't sure.

She approached Kazuki and placed her hand on the cold crystal with a sad smile,

 **"Tabane told you not to push yourself too hard... but look at you... getting yourself in a state like this..."**

I saw Chifuyu-nee quietly watch the interaction. I would have thought that she would interrogate the hologram, but that was obviously not possible.

"Just what is going on, Ene-chan? What happened to Kazu-chan?"

This girl called Ene turned around with a serious look and began explaining,

 **"This ice crystal... it's made from the sea water. I had a program that activates the reshuffling sequence of the water molecules around him just before his death..."**

"The sea water? How can something so simple be this hard to break?" Chifuyu-nee couldn't hold her curiosity back and probed. But everyone understood her curiosity. There was no way a block of ice could survive a nuclear explosion.

 **"Using every bit of energy I had, I reshuffled the nanomolecular structure of the sea water to turn it into a substance that shares the properties of a sturdy crystal and ice so that his organs are left preserved."**

"Then, does that mean Kazuki-san is still alive?" Cecilia's expression brightened in hope, and so did ours, but it quickly dropped into a frown when we saw the doubtful look on Ene's face.

 **"I don't know... The reshuffle sequence was supposed to activate right before his death, but there was a glitch; it activated a second too late..."**

"Then tell us a way to break him free so we can find out." Chifuyu-nee pressed on. It was really uncharacteristic of her to rush someone like that; I can slightly see the anxiety in her eyes. Maybe it was because I was her little brother...

Tabane-san looked at Ene earnestly,

"Is there a way? To free Kazu-chan?"

The hologram nodded at her,

 **"Do you remember when master saw you for the first time in your room? You activated a special lock to prevent him from opening the core in his chest."**

The core. There it is again. Whenever they started talking about this "core" I get lost in thought. Kazuki told us it was a condition he has, but the way this girl talks about it makes it sound completely different.

"Prevent him from opening his core...?"

 **"He tried to stab into his core with a screwdriver to kill himself, but you stopped him, remember?"**

 **-Flashback-**

 _"G-Get the hell off me, you crazy hellion!"_

 _"I don't wanna! You're going to try and hit me again! I'm scared~!"_

 _..._

 _"You shouldn't keep something so precious open like that, or you'll get hurt~"_

 _ **"DNA recognition complete. Access granted. Shinonono Tabane."**_

 _The metal piece slowly closed itself and soon enough, the core was covered once again._

 _"Apply special Taba-chan lock!"_

 _"What-"_

 _There were few machinery sounds and a lock sound._

 _ **Clank**_

 _"All done! It's the last IS in the whole world. It would be a shame if it broke~!"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

 **=Perspective Change=**

Tabane remembered; she had locked his core shut with her special lock using her fingerprints.

 **"Place your hand onto the ice layer above his core and deactivate the lock. If you wait long enough, the ice should quickly defrost."**

Suddenly, the hologram began fading and there were some static glitches to her appearance.

"H-Hey, what's going on? You're becoming a little transparent." Ichika pointed out.

The blue twin-tailed girl turned to Ichika and the girls with a grave look,

 **"Looks like I don't have much time left... Listen carefully... His core is burnt up... The reshuffling of the sea water molecules seems to have overclocked it above the safety levels..."**

None of the others understood what Ene was saying, but Tabane's eyes widened in shock.

"That means he..."

 **"He won't be able to use Lyka, his personal IS unit, ever again... His future as an IS pilot is probably over."**

The words echoed within Chifuyu's conscience. Her grip on her arms tightened in momentary anger.

Listening to all this, Charlotte began putting the pieces together,

 _'So that metal plate I saw on his chest had his core inside it... And it wasn't just any core; it was an IS core!'_

She looked around and saw the confused looks on her friends,

 _'They don't know about this, do they? His limbs, scars and his past...'_

She hesitated, weighing her options; she understood, why Kazuki always kept hiding his metal limbs.

 _'No. Kazuki didn't want others to find out... Because... because the reason why he didn't want us to find out is...'_

Charlotte jumped slightly when Houki stomped her foot down angrily,

"What do you mean he won't be able to use his IS?!"

 **"I'm sorry... I did what I had to do to save my master. Or at least the possibility."**

Ichika thought for a second and felt a burning question emerge,

"Tabane-san, can't you make another IS core? You can just make another personal unit for him, right?"

Laura shook her head answered,

"No. A personal IS is given to one person with an incredibly high compatibility to that specific unit. That also means this person becomes attuned to it, making it impossible for her to activate a different IS unit."

Then that got Charlotte thinking,

 _'If we were to try and activate a different unique IS unit, it would just shut down and won't activate. But what happens in Kazuki's case?'_

"..." Ichika couldn't find the words to express his frustration. But he knew like the rest of the girls; saving Kazuki was more important.

"Alright... Is there anything we can do to help?"

But unfortunately for Ene, she was disappearing.

"Ene-chan!"

The hologram smiled,

 **"Just leave everything to Tabane. She'll be able to save your friend."**

She took a last look at her master wistfully,

 **"I'm sorry about lying to you back then... but I really wish I could walk alongside you as a real AI..."**

She closed her eyes and a single droplet of tear dripped from one of them,

 **"Good bye, my master..."**

Slowly, Ene's hologram disappeared into thin air, and everyone was left stunned,

"She's gone..."

"I guess they knew each other well..."

There was silence in the room yet again as the girls all looked down in pity.

Tabane noticed herself zoning out and quickly snapped herself out,

"We have to get him out, quickly."

She saw Chifuyu nod at her decisively.

"Okay... I'm going to begin the defrosting." Tabane approached the crystal carefully and stared at his left chest beneath the thick ice.

Houki and the others were dying to know; the question has been sitting with them since Ene's appearance. Just what was this core they were talking about? It had been mentioned a few times before, but Kazuki always gave them vague answers. However, nobody was going to ask; they all waited anticipatingly as Tabane's hand made contact with the ice surface.

It wasn't like an ice cube where the surface was wet; this was dry and smooth, like a crystal. It felt cold,

 _'It's so cold... It hurts to know that you were trapped on the bottom of the sea in this all alone for such a long time...'_ Tabane frowned.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, and looks of concern were present in everyone's expression.

"Is it not working?"

"It can't be!"

"If it doesn't work, how will we ever get him out?!"

Tabane closed her eyes firmly and tried to ignore the others. It was going to work. It had to.

Tears now flowed down from her firmly closed eyes,

 _'Please come back, Tom! A world without you... I don't want it!"_

Suddenly, she felt an intense heat on her hand. She removed her hands immediately and saw a bright light coming from Kazuki's left chest under his uniform.

 **D..NA R...ecogni...tion Co...mpl..ete : Acc...e..ss g..rant...ed : Ini...tiat..ing Loc..k Ov...erride.**

Ichika saw the bright light shining through a small crack forming on the center of the crystal.

"Look! It's cracking!"

The crack grew larger across the crystal surface, and with a blinding light, it shattered.

Everyone saw the shard pieces all disintegrate into dusty particles.

Ichika and the girls all sat up from their seats excitedly,

"It worked!"

"He's finally free!"

Chifuyu uncrossed her arms and approached the glass wall for a closer look.

Kazuki's body then fell forward, but Tabane caught him in her embrace. She could smell the scent of blood and metal. But she was able to distinguish his unique scent from those other unwanted smell; she was thrown into a trance of nostalgia and she felt warm tears fall.

 _'Tom...'_

Chifuyu knew what she had to do immediately.

"Orimura, Dunois, help Tabane get Kazuki onto the healing chambre. I'm going to get the medical team down here."

"O-Okay! C'mon Charlotte!"

The healing chambre was a metal tube with a protective glass on the top, large enough to fit a person. The two moved with haste. Houki and the others helped prepare the healing chambre for him, sliding the glass aside to open it.

With the help of Ichika and Charlotte, Tabane gently lay Kazuki inside.

Houki saw the red blood slowly spreading across the white blazer in panic,

"Oh my god, he's still bleeding! We have to cover the wounds and put some pressure on it..."

Without a second of hesitation, she reached to rip the rest of his tattered blazer and shirt.

Charlotte yelled in despair, trying to stop Houki,

"Houki, don't!"

But she was too late and the blazer and shirt easily ripped away from his body, and now, everything from his waist to his head was visible. Ichika and the girls saw a dark slab of metal in his left chest. There was a solid number tattoo on his right chest '27'. Not just that, his right arm was inhumane; a black broken up mess of a metal with a few wires sticking into his shoulder. However, they were disturbed to see the sheer amount and magnitude of the scars etched all around his stomach and chest.

"W-W-What is this...?" Rin trailed off in fear.

Cecilia had to cover her gaping mouth from the shock, and she mumbled

"W-What are all those m-metal limbs? What's that in Kazuki-san's chest?"

"All those scars... They can't be from battle." Laura deduced gravely, shaken, yet keeping her composure.

Houki stared with wide eyes at Kazuki's form; she was beyond shocked.

 _'These metal parts... and all these scars.'_

Houki then checked his legs to see if they were also metal; and his left one was indeed fully metallic, judging by the weight.

 _'His leg too... all this time... even though we were always together... we didn't know anything...'_

Suddenly, she was overcome with sadness,

 _'We never even tried to find out who you really were as a person... I... I always tried to force you to tell me what I wanted to hear...'_

Houki then noticed a soft sobbing coming from Charlotte, kneeling powerlessly on the floor.

"I'm... I'm sorry Kazuki... I'm so sorry..."

Did she know? About Kazuki's prosthetic limbs and all those scars? Millions of questions ran through her head, but first she grabbed Charlotte's collar and firmly stood her up.

"Snap out of it, Charlotte! Why are you apologizing? If you knew about this, why didn't you tell us?

Charlotte couldn't stop the tears; she remembered something.

 **-Flashback-**

 _Charlotte and Kazuki were still in the men's bath, facing away from each other._

 _"Hey, Charles, can I ask you a favor?"_

 _"I told you it's Charlotte!" She turned around to pout angrily, but her expression changed immediately when she saw the serious look on Kazuki's face._

 _"Don't tell anyone about my limbs... or the fact that I was a victim of the Apeiron Project."_

 _"Wha... Why? Wouldn't it be easier to tell the others? Why would you need to hide it?"_

 _Kazuki slightly looked down to stare at the reflection of his face upon the surface of the hot water,_

 _"The victims of the project were not even considered human. We were just animals; a livestock... I don't even have a heart to take in all those emotions like a normal person."_

 _"But Ichika and the others won't think like that!"_

 _Kazuki smiled,_

 _"Probably not... but I'm afraid... Afraid that the relationship we have is going to somehow change... I just want things to be as it is... All of us gathering for lunch, laughing and arguing..."_

 _"Kazuki..."_

 _He lightly chuckled to himself,_

 _"But that won't do, now will it? It would be selfish and arrogant of me to think that everything is going to remain the same as I want it to be."_

 _He suddenly fixed his eyes on Charlotte's once again,_

 _"I know how hard it is to hide something you know from others, especially when it's your friends. You'll be the sole person to know the truth. You'll feel lonely and you'll want to share your thoughts. You'll suffer by yourself without being able to tell the others. They might even think you're crazy."_

 _However, he continued with a warm smile,_

 _"But I won't make you carry that burden. When you feel too lonely, when you feel like you've reached your limit, when it becomes unbearable for you, then just tell them. Tell them everything. Don't worry, I wouldn't blame you if you did. I was the one who made such a selfish request in the first place. Just don't push yourself for the likes of me..."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Houki saw the tears flow from Charlotte's eyes incessantly.

"Why are you crying? Just what did Kazuki tell you?!"

There was no time for explanations as the door to the medical room opened to reveal Chifuyu and several doctors in surgical uniform behind her.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

I just sat staring at the unmoving silhouette of Kazuki in the healing chambre in the opposite room. The glass wall wasn't transparent so we couldn't see properly.

No matter how many times we asked Charlotte, she just kept repeating herself sadly; that she failed Kazuki… In the end, Nee-san told us that it was something that Kazuki didn't want us to know, and asked us to remain quiet about it, but how can we?

He had scars like an animal hacked away at his body, and that metal slab in his chest, Nee-san told us that it was a replacement for his heart that was lost 2 years ago. She said it was to save his life, but from what?

Ichika seemed to have noticed the troubled look on my face and poked,

"Hey, Houki, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm just doubtful… about all this…" I said honestly.

"They said that his brain activity is still present and that most of the bullet wounds have been treated. So there's nothing to worry about." He gave me his usual look of reassurance. It gave me hope.

"Thanks, Ichika…"

It had been 3 days since the surgeons showed up to treat Kazuki. They said that he was 'dead' when they first arrived. There was no breathing, pulse, or any brain activity. He had been officially declared dead according to the Uniform Determination of Death Act; but when Nee-san took a clearer look, they found a very tiny brain signal coming from the corner of his brain. They didn't know why, but there was a small electronic circuit, the size of a rice grain that sent electric signals to the brain, keeping it active.

That only made me question more about his limbs and how Charlotte acted earlier… But what was important was the fact that Kazuki was still alive… Somewhere inside him, he was clinging to life; he hadn't given up yet.

The rest of the girls were with us, waiting behind the protective glass wall, sitting with tired looks on their faces. It was no surprise; we haven't slept for more than 3 days.

Just when my eyes were about to close slowly, the door behind us opened and came one of the surgeons.

"The operation is complete. You may head inside, but please make sure to not make any direct contact with the patient yet."

Everyone's eyes jolted open, much like mine, and we all stormed in carefully. Nee-san was standing in front of the healing chambre with a mixture of sadness and relief.

"How is he doc?" Rin asked impatiently, anxious curiosity getting the better of her.

"His wounds are all patched up, and his metabolism has taken over. He's stable for now… I've inserted a temporary power core, but..." she said solemnly.

We all stared into the healing tube. He looked at peace with the uncomfortable oxygen mask forcing oxygen to his brain. There was a new metal prosthetic for his right arm, and another for his left. It seemed Kazuki had lost it during the explosion. We all cringed at the thought gravely.

"If Kazuki-san's stable… then why hasn't he woken up yet?"

There was the question; Cecilia tossed it out, but nobody caught it.

Finally, Nee-san answered unsurely,

"That's the problem… He should've woken up when the power core entered his chest, but he doesn't show any reaction. Still a weak brain activity."

"No way... " Charlotte's head fell slightly.

Nee-san rested her chin on her hand with a serious look,

"If we don't hurry up, the power core is going to burn out soon… It's only meant to jump start Kazu-chan back to life."

"Then what do we do? Isn't there anything we can do?" Ichika asked desperately. I understood how he felt; powerless and anxious. That's what I was feeling now.

Suddenly, Orimura-sensei came into the treatment room.

"Chifuyu-nee?"

"Sensei?"

Her looks seemed to suggest that she had a solution,

"There is one way we could get Kazuki back. To dive into the IS core network virtual reality system to access his mind."

"D-Dive into the system?

"Is that…? Don't tell me..."

Cecilia and Rin looked at each other with looks of unease.

Laura crossed her arms and glanced at me and Charlotte.

"So we'll have to bypass the IS' pilot nervous system protection and enter the network as our virtual selves?

"I know it's theoretically possible, but…"

"The IS core network, huh…" Ichika trailed off; he seemed to know what it was.

The IS core network, it was based on the communication protocol that they use for space missions. It's a virtual reality where every IS is connected. The machine's been modified to not only communicate to those with IS units, but to also look inside a person's mind to research the psychological connection of the person to the IS.

But the reason why everyone was so uneasy was because it was a great taboo to open someone's mind for others to see. These rights were only given to those who have qualifications.

 _ **=Perspective Change=**_

"Are there any objections?" Chifuyu raised a brow.

But just as she expected, there were no more hesitation from the girls.

"No, ma'am!" they all said in unison.

The raven-haired instructure nodded in satisfaction,

"Good. We'll have Kazuki transported to the IS central control; that's where the machine is."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Just a floor below, there was a room with several long seats that went into a small dark space like an MRI machine. Kazuki had been placed on the seat in the centre and had already entered the machine.

Above those machines, there was an observatory with some control panels. Tabane was sat on the middle computer, furiously typing away in preparation of the system dive.

" **So allow me to recap. Once you all enter Satoshi's conscience, all you need to do is to create a spark; a catalyst to jolt him to synchronise his virtual senses to his real ones."**

Ichika and the girls were having trouble understanding, so Chifuyu elaborated through the speaker,

" **I don't know how things are going to look, but I expect him to be alive somewhere inside, and I guess you'll have to talk to him and pull him back to reality."**

"That's it?" Rin squinted in confusion; it couldn't be that simple.

Ichika's expression brightened,

"Oh, then this is going to be a piece of cake!"

"I don't know…" Charlotte said uneasily.

Tabane decisively tapped on her enter key and finished the preparation,

"Okie, dokie! The dive preparation is complete!"

Chifuyu made a single clap,

" **All personnel, standby! The system dive will now commence!"**

"Roger!"

One by one, they made themselves comfortable on each chair and allowed their seats to slowly slither into the dark space inside the machine.

There was a screen on the ceiling with the count down.

They could also hear Tabane's voice,

" **Now connecting you to the virtual reality, in 5… 4… 3… 2…"**

Ichika closed his eyes slowly and allowed his conscience to depart to the IS core network.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Just before the gang knew it, their minds were transported to the communication network space. The background was dark, but filled with stars and galaxies; it was a breathtaking scenery.

"Woah… This is my first time being inside the network…" Ichika said in his astonishment.

"Me too… It's like we're really out in space…" Houki gulped at the massive size of the virtual universe.

"What are you two doing admiring the scenery?! We're not here for sightseeing here, for goodness sakes!" Rin scolded.

Charlotte agreed seriously,

"Rin's right. We need to go find Kazuki and bring him back to reality. We can't stay inside the system for too long… There's a time limit."

Then, they all gathered their focus and proceeded on through the vast space.

After a few minutes of wandering, they came across a single white solid door.

"So this is the doorway to Kazuki's mind? I'm nervous…" Rin admitted, her hands hovering over the door nob.

"There's no choice. Although I feel bad for Kazuki-san for peeping into his mind, we have to go through and bring him back."

Cecilia grabbed the doorknob fearlessly and pushed it open. For a few seconds, the group was blinded by the whiteness of the universe on the other side of the door.

It was a similar virtual space like the other one, but everything was white; the background, the floor. There was absolutely nothing for miles off in the distance.

The group stared with gaping mouths at the peculiarity and mystical atmosphere of the white universe.

"Is this… Kazuki's conscience…?" Ichika pondered to himself.

"It's so… pure and peaceful…" Laura added.

Rin then noticed something in the far distance.

"Hey, guys! I see something over there!"

The group moved with haste to see what the object was, and to their confusion, it was Kazuki encased in the same crystal that he was trapped in before.

"What? Why is he still trapped inside his own conscience? We can't wake him up like this!" Houki said in frustration.

"What does this mean…? Are we missing something?" Laura pondered, but her thoughts were interrupted when they heard an unexpecting voice from behind.

"He will not wake up. Not as long as he's trapped inside that crystal."

It was Chloe Chronicle, her eyes closed in relaxation, and her cane by her side for support.

…

 **Blink, Blink**

Tabane and Chifuyu, in the reality; monitoring the status of Ichika and the girls, noticed the alarm ring from the central panel.

The genius scientist slid her chair across the room and stared at the screen to interpret the readings.

"What's going on?" Chifuyu joined her.

Tabane's eyes traced left to right, looking for the error hidden in the wall of text.

"It's detected a foreign entity inside the network… It's…"

Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the foreign codes,

"Ku-chan?"

...

"You were…" Houki squinted in an attempt to remember who the girl was.

"Chloe Chronicle. I believe we met at Tabane-sama's residence a couple months back."

"Ah… Chronicle-san, is it...? What are you doing here?" Charlotte furrowed a brow curiously; what was she doing here? How did she even enter the network?

The Laura look-alike briefly glanced towards Kazuki's direction,

"Looks like you were all able to free this man from the crystal. I am impressed."

Ichika stared at the girl with a bit of caution; he didn't like her tone one bit. Something told him to be wary of this figure called Chloe Chronicle.

She continued with an easy going attitude,

"His conscience was sealed along with his physical body in the real world in this crystal; and so, all you need to do is break it again."

"But then, we need professor Tabane again, wouldn't we?" Cecilia sighed dejectedly; they came so far, but they were once again impeded by the same wall they came across before.

Chloe answered calmly, slowly walking in between the crystal and the group,

"There will be no need for that. The material trapping him inside his conscience is much weaker than the real one; I assume a single powerful strike would suffice."

Everyone's face brightened,

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's-"

Suddenly, Chloe Chronicle opened her eyes to reveal a pair of demonic eyes that resembled Kazuki's; yellow-dark centered pupils; and pitch black sclera. At the same time, the white universe was quickly consumed by blackness.

"However, I did not say that I would allow it to happen."

The group staggered in surprise.

"W-What?! Everything turned black!" Despite the black background, they were still able to see each other.

"What are you doing?! I thought you were here to help us!" Charlotte glared at Chloe who only frowned in contempt,

"Help you? Please; I would never stoop down to help such inferior beings."

Laura bit down on her lips in anger,

"I knew there was something wrong with you the first time I saw you! Just what in the world are you?!"

Chloe smirked,

"Why, I am you, Laura Bodewig. Your sister."

"Sister?!" Ichika was beyond confused. Laura had never mentioned anything about her family; and to think that topic would come in this fashion.

"I thought so… You are also a DNA reinforced specimen… Unlike me, you've completely given up on being human." Laura said bitingly.

"Why are you doing this?! What has Kazuki ever done to you?!" Charlotte shouted; she didn't understand. They were so close; he was right there. But there was always a wall stopping them in their tracks; wherever they went, something was always getting in their way.

Chloe's face fell slightly,

"You won't understand. The things that we go through. There's no way kids like you could understand!"

With a quick snap of her finger, she was enveloped in a bright light. The light faded and the particles disappeared; and what stood in front of the group made their backbones shutter in fear.

It was Lyka; the same blue werewolf like IS unit Kazuki used.

Chloe looked at herself and her arsenals with a look of surprise,

"So this is his personal unit… It feels awfully light…"

Ichika pointed his shaky finger at the IS,

"I-It's Kazuki's unit…"

"N-No...way…" Rin gaped at the sight in despair; there was no way they could win. Even if they all ganged up on her; she would just thrash them all one-by-one.

But she snapped out of her shock when Houki shouted,

"Snap out of it! Did you forget? Lyka's incredibly frail! It only has 50 shield energy!"

Houki was right. Lyka wasn't a heavy damage dealing type of IS; it was mainly recon and it was incredibly weak to area of effect type of attacks.

Ichika and the girls all deployed their units with looks of determination,

"No matter what the odds are against us, we won't give up on Kazuki!"

The others nodded,

"That's right!"

Chloe replaced her minigun arm with the tri-tungsten blade and crossed her claws together provocatively,

"I see, then prepare yourselves!"

With incredible burst of speed, she flew towards Houki. Houki quickly crossed her katanas to block the slash and was pushed far back by the force.

Cecilia took aim and fired at Lyka, but its head instantly turned around and did a quick backstep to dodge it with ease.

Rin's Shenlong was positioned just behind Chloe and slashed horizontally, but Lyka was already in the air.

' _Damn it! Like before, it's too fast!'_

"Uwohh!" Ichika activated his Yukihira and flew towards Chloe for an aerial strike, but the unit's body blended with the background and became invisible with a momentary flash.

"She's gone invisible! Everyone watch your back!" Houki shouted.

Charlotte cocked her weapons back and focused on her surroundings. Then she felt the air around her change slightly,

"There!"

She instantly turned around and fired. Just as she foresaw, Lyka's camouflage deactivated while deflecting the bullets.

Chloe grinned,

"Very impressive. They don't call you representative candidates for nothing… However..."

Once again, Lyka disappeared from view using the camouflage. Charlotte tried to focus again, but she was too late. She felt a sudden strong slash across her back.

"Gahh!"

"...you are still no match for me."

"Charlotte-san!" Cecilia bit her lips in frustration and released all her drones and focus fired at Lyka.

Rin supported her by firing her impact cannon at her as well.

"Futile efforts…"

Chloe stared at the incoming projectiles with her demonic eyes; and she felt the world slightly slow down. She could easily see the trajectory of the bullets, making it easy for her to dodge and deflect them.

In Ichika's eyes, it happened in an instant; the hail of projectiles fell upon Lyka, but left it completely unscathed.

"An opening!" Ichika ignition boosted with his weapon drawn.

Chloe sighed,

"A frontal attack so obvious-"

But then she couldn't move for some reason. Chloe turned her head around to see Laura's Schwarzer Regen rooting her in place with her AIC field.

"You're not going anywhere." Laura said coldly.

"Fool."

A rail gun materialized on Lyka's back and it was aiming straight at Laura.

"Crap-"

There was a small explosion, causing Laura to lose focus. The AIC field deactivated and Chloe took this chance to fly up into the air. Ichika wasn't done; he followed Lyka and struck when she wasn't expecting it.

"Take this!"

Chloe brought one of her claws up just in time to block Ichika's high intensity blade.

Houki flew in from behind and made her move to strike Chloe's unguarded back. But to her frustration, Chloe blocked her katana with her other free hand.

" _Kuhh! She's good!"_

 **Click, Click, Click…**

Houki and Ichika heard the sound of something opening; several things opening. Then they noticed Lyka's missile pods appearing from all over its limbs.

"Houki! Missiles!"

The missiles fired from Lyka's body, and the heat seeking explosives turned towards Houki and Ichika.

Both had no choice but to retreat, leaving Lyka behind. Ichika slashed at the incoming missiles while Houki simply let out a crescent wave of energy to dispatch the missiles.

Charlotte watched Lyka after recovering from her initial damage,

' _Just like we thought… This is tough… If we can force an opening; we can easily take her down with a single strike!'_

But she had no time to think as Lyka's minigun shot hundreds of bullets at her. Charlotte quickly materialized her shield to block.

Chloe smiled in satisfaction,

' _Simply amazing! This unit is much better than I thought!'_

She wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and then noticed something,

' _But why am I sweating so much all of a sudden… It's only been a few minutes.'_

Chloe quickly turned to block several shots from Cecilia's drones, but failed to noticed Charlotte's Revive unit behind her.

"You're open!"

Charlotte fired her submachine guns at Lyka's exposed back and to everyone's delight, the bullets managed to land.

"Tch!"

Chloe toggled her camouflage to create some distance. She looked at her shield energy and saw that it had fallen to 5.

"Hey, you're not too bad, are you?" Rin yelled, waving her arms with a wide smile.

"Nice shot, Charlotte!" Houki added in satisfaction.

The blonde couldn't help but let a smile creep up her face. It was working! If they just kept at this rate; they could take down Lyka.

Chloe sighed,

"I see you have managed to land a hit…"

This time, electricity slithered across both her claws dangerously.

"But you won't be able to keep up anymore…"

There was a loud bang; and Lyka disappeared from view.

Laura's eyes tracked left and right; but before her brain could even register it, she felt herself being blown back with an incredible force. Her shield energy plummeted.

Everyone turned towards her with late reaction.

"Laura!"

"She's doing the same thing Kazuki did in the tournament!"

"A sonic boom." Houki sweated nervously. Could they really win this battle? She was starting to have doubts.

Chloe slowly turned around and looked at the enemies in front of her with a complex look. She then opened her hands and stared into it for a long second in thought. She then created another sonic boom and reeled her claws back.

 **-Flashback-**

" _Oi, Tabaco~ Jeez where did she run off to, that lazy boob monster. The academy opening ceremony is a week from now..."_

 _Suddenly, the hard metal tip of someone's cane crashed into the back of Kazuki's head. His eyes bulged and snot drooled out comically._

" _How many times must I tell you not to call Tabane-sama by such vulgar names?"_

" _Damn! Don't use your cane, you crazy little midget!"_

 _Unfortunately for him, Chloe swung her good old cane straight into his family jewels._

" _Ah." With a funny expression on his face, he fell sideways, frozen and completely white._

 _She stared at the tip of her cane with a neutral expression,_

" _Looks like I'll have to order a new cane… This one is... dirty…"_

" _Oi! Don't treat me like some kind of a disgusting sex offender!"_

 _Kazuki pulled himself up back on his feet with an annoyed expression,_

" _Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Tabac-"_

 _He noticed a dangerous flash from Chloe's eyes,_

" _...ne…"_

 _She sighed dejectedly,_

" _Even if I did know, what makes you think I'll tell a primal beast like yourself?"_

 _Kazuki stared at her intently for a few moments._

" _What are you looking at with those lustful eyes?!" she said coldly, reeling her cane back threateningly._

 _He laughed with a nervous sweatdrop,_

" _I wasn't looking at you like that!"_

 _Kazuki's expression lightened,_

" _Say, why do you follow Tabane? Why have such strong loyalty for her?"_

 _Chloe looked at him with analytical eyes, then sighed,_

" _-sigh- it's not the emotional reason that you're thinking which drives me to support Tabane-sama. In the end, we are just talking robots to her; we're only tools."_

 _She looked down with a slight solemn look,_

" _But I don't mind. No matter what she thinks of me, I will use this very life to support her."_

" _But I think you're wrong."_

" _What?"_

 _Chloe looked up to see Kazuki smiling warmly, but she could see the pained look in his eyes,_

" _To Tabane, you were someone that she wanted to save and protect. That's why she enjoys having you around by her side."_

 _Chloe's eyes widened,_

" _You…"_

 _He closed his eyes, but when they reopened, there were new emotions in his eyes; she could see. Determination and resolution._

 _He grinned,_

" _Besides, even if she did consider us as chunks of metals; I consider you as a friend."_

 _ **Friend.**_

 _The word repeated itself inside Chloe. It was warm and soothing. What did it mean?_

" _F...Friend?"_

 _His face contorted into a comical look of pain,_

" _... I would just appreciate it if you don't pull off a stunt like that, though… My crotch still hurts..."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Charlotte was ready for her high-speed attack, or so she thought because her reaction time was too slow. She saw her coming, but her body couldn't react in time. The claw bypassed her shield energy and completely shattered Charlotte's unit.

"Kyahh!"

Her unit disappeared, and she fell hard onto the floor.

"Charlotte!"

Cecilia had Lyka in her sights and shot several powerful shots from her rifle, but it was proving ineffective as Chloe dodged and deflected most of her projectiles.

Lyka was less than 5 meters from her. Cecilia tried to aim at her at point blank range, but Chloe sliced her rifle in half. The blonde was thrown back by a powerful kick, putting her out of the battlefield momentarily.

Laura charged her rail gun and fired at the enemy, creating an explosion, but she knew it didn't do anything. Once again, Ichika activated his ignition boost and launched towards the smoke to follow up on Laura's attack.

Lyka emerged from the smoke with red flashing in its eyes. Ichika reeled his Yukihira back for a downward slash, but he noticed that he had miscalculated the distance between them. The Lyka made a motion to stab him in the chest and it was going to connect first, and it did.

The contact between the charged claw and Byakushiki's shield created sparks, but eventually, Ichika's shield ran out. Lyka's momentum disappeared preventing the blade from stabbing through thanks to Byakushiki's shield, but the railgun at Lyka's back was enough to put Ichika out of the battle.

"Ichika!"

Houki saw Ichika's unit disappear and his body falling. She broke formation and went to his aid.

"Houki- Tch!"

Rin provided covering fire for Houki and it was successful in buying a little time as Chloe was occupied dodging Rin's impact cannon projectiles.

' _2 down, 1 low on shield, 3 more… I'll take out one with another sonic boom.'_

Chloe tried to activate the speed burst module, but her eyes widened when she suddenly felt a sharp pain from her chest. The sudden but powerful surge of pain took her by surprise and she lost balance in mid air.

' _W-What?! What is this pain?!'_

She felt the veins in her neck bulge and she could even feel it trace up to her cheeks.

Ichika and the girls all saw Lyka lose balance in the air randomly and thought it was weird.

' _Did she lose focus?'_ Houki squinted for a better look, but she couldn't quite tell.

Rin noticed it too and cocked an eyebrow, but didn't hesitate to use her impact cannons.

The shot connected to one of Lyka's engine on its back and destroyed it completely, making it plummet towards the ground.

' _She got my engine!'_

Chloe crashed onto the ground roughly, sparks running across Lyka's body. She didn't move.

Cecilia gulped nervously,

"Did it work…?"

Charlotte dragged herself up on her feet with the help of Laura.

"S-She's down..."

Houki turned to the action and her eyes widened,

"W-We did it…?"

Ichika's expression rose victoriously,

"You did it! She's down!"

Rin flew down to help Ichika and Houki with an uneasy look,

"I don't know… Famous last words…"

Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura regrouped and joined the other three,

"Are you okay, Ichika?" Charlotte asked, checking over him for any injuries.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what about you? She hit you pretty hard."

Charlotte flexed her arms cutely with an energetic smile,

"I'm well and kicking! I wouldn't go down so easily!"

 **Unit set to maximum performance;**

Like any other action novels/movies, it was too soon to celebrate; Lyka slowly got up on its feet, brushing off the broken armor parts off its body.

"If you thought that it was going to be this easy, let me re-educate you…"

The group watched in terror as Chloe and Lyka were once again enveloped in light.

 **Second shift activated**

Lyka's body was now black; all the damaged parts all regenerated instantly, and its shield energy was back to full.

They could already feel the heavy force the unit was letting out; there was nothing they could do.

"It's over…" Houki trailed off weakly.

"Don't give up just yet!"

Houki and the girls were surprised to find that Ichika was gone. He was standing in front of the unit without his IS.

"Ichika! Are you crazy?! What the hell are you doing?!" Houki screamed in panic.

But the boy stood his ground bravely. There was a certain look of confidence in his face, and Chloe didn't like it one bit.

"What is with that look? Do you genuinely believe you could beat me in second shift?"

He remained silent.

Chloe laughed,

"Hmph. Nothing? Then prepare to meet your end."

Plasma ran across the surface of the claws, and she prepared to launch herself towards Ichika.

"Ichika! RUN!"

"Die!"

The instant Chloe engaged the speed burst, however, she remained in her spot, unmoving.

Puzzled, Ichika and the girls stared at Lyka with unsure looks.

Chloe felt a sharp pain in her chest again, except it was so much more painful than the last episode. It was simply the most excruciating pain she had ever experienced in her life. She coughed out blood, staining the screen in front of her. Lyka was forced to kneel.

Then something sparked in Ichika's head,

' _That's it! Now I'm sure of it!'_

Ichika spoke before the kneeling unit confidently

"I knew it from the beginning of the battle. There's something wrong with your unit."

Chloe panted, heavily. Her hands were pale, and she felt her vision begin to fade. She shook her head violently and attempted to fire her railgun, but no part of her body moved.

He continued, shaking his head,

"No… it's not the unit; it's you."

"W-What?!" Chloe glared at Ichika, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"Ichika?" Houki stared at Ichika. He was onto something. And she was also starting to grasp the situation a little. Not just her, the girls all noticed that there was something wrong with Chloe. She wasn't moving from her spot; Lyka was rooted in its spot, kneeling.

"All this time, Kazuki's been training me in his unit, and I can tell. Your speed was out of this world, but it's nothing compared to his."

The girls' eyes widened at the revelation. He was right. Although Chloe was able to maneuver at an incredible speed, they realized that Kazuki was faster from memory.

"Even before activating second shift, you lost focus after 2 sonic booms, letting Rin get a clear shot on you."

Chloe coughed,

"Kuhh… don't tell me…"

Ichika nodded,

"That's right. You can't handle Lyka. It's putting too much strain on you."

Laura finally understood,

"I see… He always made it seem like nothing… Now I understand just how painful and straining it must have been for him…"

Chloe bit down on her lips in anger,

"Don't underestimate me! As if I will let myself fall here!"

With sheer willpower, she replaced her right arm with her minigun and raised it to Ichika's level shakily.

Ichika grinned almost victoriously,

"No, you were a powerful opponent. But it's our victory."

"Ichika!"

Charlotte threw Ichika's bracelet at him; it was his IS in closed form.

Chloe's eyes widened.

"It's not too much, but this much energy should be enough to take you down! Charlotte's ability to transfer energies between IS' is pretty convenient, I must say."

Ichika quickly deployed Byakushiki; there wasn't enough energy to materialize his weapon, but Ichika didn't care. He activated ignition boost and raged towards the downed IS unit.

' _Don't tell me!'_ Chloe quickly looked behind her and saw the crystal entrapping Kazuki. She tried to move away, but it was too late.

Ichika grabbed Lyka by its arms and continued on towards the crystal at high-speed.

"Go, Ichika!"

"Uwoohhh!"

Both Ichika and Chloe crashed into crystal, shattering it into millions of pieces. Chloe's unit also shattered into pieces, and they faded away into particles. Everything was happening in slow motion. She saw the image of Kazuki's face on one of the small crystal shards in the air.

 **-Flashback-**

 _This happened several hours after Tabane-sama left for the IS academy excursion site to carry out a mission involving the Silver Gospel._

 _Tabane-sama's phone rang all of a sudden and when I looked at the caller, it was that primal beast calling._

 _I initially thought of ignoring it, but I was afraid that Tabane-sama would later come back to scold me for not answering it._

" _What do you want, you dirty beast. If you want Tabane-sama, she's there isn't she? Why call me?"_

" _ **Hello? That cold cheeky voice! Thank goodness you answered."**_

 _I felt like vomiting listening to his voice. But Tabane-sama told me to answer whenever her phone rang, so patience…_

" _ **Anyway, I need to head out soon with Houki to fight the Gospel, so I'm in a bit of a hurry."**_

" _Get to the point."_

" _ **Do you remember when I asked you why you follow Tabane with such loyalty? Do you think you can tell me the reason now?"**_

 _I rolled my eyes in annoyance; to think that he would ask that kind of question in this situation._

" _I told you, it's not for an emotional reason. No matter what the reason, my intentions are to support her even at the cost of my life."_

" **..."**

 _There was silence for a few seconds; and I found that weird._

" _ **Well, I guess that's better than nothing. Do you mean what you're saying?"**_

 _I spat at him venomously,_

" _Are you calling me a liar?!"_

 _There was a laughter on the other side of the phone. I was confused. He was acting very differently from usual, it was unnerving._

" _ **Haha, no, no. But now that you've said that, I've got nothing to worry about."**_

" _Have you finally gone mad? What are you talking about?"_

" _ **Take good care of Tabane for me."**_

 _ **Click**_

 **-End of Flashback-**

' _Those were the last words I would ever hear from that man. Tabane-sama came back, depressed and in despair, a day after that phone conversation. He had died, sacrificing himself to destroy Gospel and to prevent a nuclear disaster.'_

Tears seeped from the corner of Chloe's eyes,

' _If these girls were the cause of all your suffering… If these girls were the reason for your death… I… I wanted to protect you from them…'_

Her body slowly began to disappear from the virtual world,

' _Forgive me, Tom… I'm sorry… Please… Come back...'_

She was gone, from the face of the virtual universe. The blackness dispersed, and the universe was once again replaced by pure whiteness.

Ichika tumbled onto the ground, rolling several times before stabilizing himself onto his knees. His unit disappeared, and he looked around cautiously several times.

"S-She's gone…"

"Ichika!"

The girls all ran towards him with looks of relief and delight.

"Guys!" Ichika was relieved to see the happy looks on their faces.

Rin slapped his back proudly,

"You really can do it if you try!"

"Do you know where Chronicle-san went?" Cecilia looked around, and so did the others, but she was nowhere to be found.

"I don't know… She must have returned to the real world."

Then it hit them faster than lightening,

"Kazuki!"

They all searched around for the boy in question, but he was also nowhere to be found.

"Ichika, what happened to the crystal? You did break it, right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I saw Kazuki too… But he's also gone…"

 **Warning; the IS core network will be shutting down. Please refrain from activating your IS unit.**

The robotic voice boomed across the universe, and Charlotte's face paled,

"Oh no! We've reached the time limit!"

"What? No! We're not done yet! We have to look for Kazu-"

Before the group can do anything, the world around them collapsed without another warning, and darkness consumed them.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was bright; and my head hurt like hell… I slowly opened my eyes and saw the white roof of the IS central control room. We were back; in the real world. But the the question is, has Kazuki come with us?

My vision was slightly blurry, but soon got used to it. I looked around and saw that the others have already woken up. They were all facing the same direction for some reason.

"H-Hey, is everyone okay? What are you all looki-"

Then she saw what everyone else was looking at.

There was a tall blonde boy standing at the end of the room with his back to them. It seemed like he was reading something on the wall.

"K-Kazuki…?"

He turned around to reveal a pair of lively blue eyes and a bright smile on his face,

"Hey, guys."

He looked at each and every one of us.

"Wow… Look how tall you guy's have grown… I feel like an old geezer."

It was that smile; the smile everyone was longing to see.

He laughed slightly,

"What's with that look on your faces? It's like you're staring at a ghost."

I didn't think. I just ran for him. I wrapped my arms around his waist tightly. I was afraid that, if I let go, he would just disappear again. I dug my face into his chest and stuck to him like glue.

"Kazuki!"

All the others jumped at Kazuki and me. I was being squashed in between, but I didn't care. I just cried with all my might. So did the others.

"Ka...Kajjuggi-shan!" Cecilia's voice was almost incomprehensible with her sobbing messing up her pronunciation. So much for a refined lady…

Charlotte kept on calling him names,

"You… stupid! Idiot! Moron! Octopus! Donkey! Pervert! Letch! I'll never forgive you!"

Rin, Laura, Ichika and me only cried out our sorrows silently. It was enough. Just him being alive, with us...

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki was entrapped in between Ichika and the girls.

He smiled warmly,

"Jeez… You're all such big babies… you know that?"

Regardless, he put his arms around them tightly and hugged them back with all his compassion. He missed them. He was glad he was alive and he was grateful.

"Thank you… For bringing me back…"

The automatic door opened just across the room to reveal Tabane panting.

"-pant- Tom!"

The girls noticed Tabane come into the room, so they made space for the two, albeit reluctantly.

Kazuki smiled,

"I thought I told you not to call me by that name."

Tears freely fell from her eyes and she ran into Kazuki's arms.

"Tom… Tom...Tom…!"

He held the girl close to him. Even if those arms were no longer his, he didn't care. He pressed his cheek against her head. Kazuki closed his eyes and a single drop of tear fell from one of them.

' _Tabane…'_

Ichika and the girls couldn't hold back any longer. They all ran to them both with the biggest smiles on their faces.

Chifuyu watched the warm interaction with a bit of tears filling her eyes. She quickly wiped them off and was replaced with a smile.

It was February 14th of 2101, the beginning of the 22nd century. It was a bright day for these IS academy students, filled with the laughter of joy and delight.


	20. IS S2 Teaser

**A/N: First of all, I owe you all an apology; I'm not going to make excuses, I've been having trouble dishing out chapters diligently. I also have to apologize for what I am about to do for this chapter because it's not actually a chapter, but I'm going to be a douche and give you a trailer/teaser to season 2 instead.**

 **But this is just to let you know that I'm not dead, and I haven't abandoned the fanfic. I will be continuing the series, so don't worry about raising a fav/follow/review to get me moving.**

 **Let me reiterate; I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS SERIES.**

 **My original purpose for writing this fanfic was for myself; because just like you, I was starved for some good reading material, and got fed up with all the other terrible fanfics (but my fanfic isn't that great either).**

 **Things have been very busy with Uni work, and I'll have to be dishing out chapters at my own pace instead of releasing it every 2-3 weeks which is what I've been doing for the last year. But I will have the first chapter out soon; I have 3k words on it right now, will try and get that done as soon as I can.**

 **For those of you who are still with me on this journey, as always, thank you so much for your patience and the support.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **IS season 2 Teaser**

 _"So you're the bastard that took my little brother?"_

...

 _"Do you regret it? Regret destroying the Silver Gospel?"_

 _..._

 _"I didn't know you were capable of using a shinai... have you done kendo before?"_

 _..._

 _"...you see... they died during the terrorist attack at the UN building in Russia... Killed."_

...

 _"...we know something you don't..."_

 _..._

 _"EXPEL HIM! EXPEL HIM! EXPEL HIM! EXPEL THE TERRORIST!"_

 _..._

 _"...there's no way..."_

 _..._

 _"...you can't, Tatenashi... Because that puts me in a bind... And I'll never be able to forgive myself."_

 _..._

 _"Chifuyu-nee, is there someone else other than me...? Like a sister?"_

 _..._

 _"...because of you... because of you!"_

 _..._

 _"...that white mask... and that sword... just who the hell are you?!"_

 _..._

 _"I won't forgive anyone who gets in the way... even if that's you... I won't hold back."_


	21. IS S2 Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright. I know. Finally, the lazy bastard's released a chapter.**

 **Now we enter phase 2 of "Reason to live", and this season will dive deeper into the past of our IS characters; the OC included. The anime series doesn't explain, especially, Ichika's past very well. And then there's Madoka from Phantom Task... I don't need to say more for you to understand how vaguely portrayed she was in the anime. I tend to fix that.**

 **As I have said from the beginning; this will follow the canon progression (anime) for the most part, but there will be some digressions.**

 **As always, I would like to thank you all for sticking around to read this sh!tty fanfic. If you have anything to ask, don't hesitate to PM/review.**

 **Right, on with the story.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 1**

 _The clashing sound of metal; the roar of the spectators; it was a spiritual place, for a soul that lives to fight, now standing in front of hundreds of thousands of people. It was the place where I belonged. To become the best… But I asked myself, "what for?" and then I realized that in my feat of glory, I had forgotten the real reason and motivation for my endeavor for power. But this was until this person appeared in front of me._

 _It was in the middle of the 2nd Mondo Grosso finals match. I was just about to deliver the finishing blow on my opponent when I was suddenly interrupted by a video call saying that my little brother was kidnapped by Phantom Task._

 _I broke out of the stadium barrier, ignoring the angry shouts of booing from the crowd. Using my connection to the German intelligence agency, I was able to receive general directions to where he was being kept, but they had their limits; at some point, I came to a dead end._

" _Ichika! ICHIKA!"_

 _I searched for hours on end, breaking through every abandoned buildings and construction sites around; I didn't even notice that the sun had gone and there was a large full moon up in the sky._

 _Something in the corner of my eyes caught my attention. It was a person standing high up on the construction crane, the full moon shining brightly behind it. It wore a horned white mask covering the entire face with plates of white armor on its arms and mid-sections. The black baggy pants made it look slightly like a futuristic ninja. I could see the long, flat tipped katana strapped across its entire back_ **(A/N: Hakumen from the BlazeBlue Series)**

 _Its long white hair flew gently with the calm night breeze and was looking my way. Then I noticed a symbol on the shoulder armor; it was a white half-mask. There was no mistaking it, it was Phantom Task._

" _So you're the bastard that took my little brother?"_

 _The figure remained mute. It then proceeded to unsheath the long sword from its back, twirling it in its hand a few times._

" _Straight to the point, huh? I like that."_

 _At the exact moment I deployed my IS, it jumped off the scaffolding and rushed towards me._

 _I don't remember how long the fight dragged on for, but I remember the Phantom Task fighter was a lot tougher than what I had thought. My IS unit was worn down, with no shield energy left. The white mask had also sustained some damage, some of its armor missing, and some deep scratches to its other armors._

 _The white mask didn't say anything but seemed to relax its stance a little._

' _What is it doing…?'_

 _It sheathed its sword to his back and pointed towards the building at the far end of the street. It was trying to tell me where Ichika was._

 _Something told me that the white mask had no more intention of fighting; I was lucky._

 _I relaxed and stood up straight to have a proper look at it. It wasn't an IS the person was wearing, perhaps an exoskeleton or a power suit; I didn't know what to think. I would have been surprised if it even stood a chance against an IS, but looking at myself… This was a different story._

" _Is that where my little brother is?"_

 _It didn't speak a word; it dropped its arm and began walking away._

" _O-Oi! Why! Why are you telling me this?"_

 _The white mask turned its head slightly to stare at me. It then made a few quick set of hand signs._

 _I recognized them from my time in the voluntary work I did for mute and deaf people._

 ** _Don't lose sight of yourself_**

 _I don't know why that person said those things to me or why it allowed me to rescue Ichika. It could've taken Ichika away at any time, but it was there, as if waiting for me to come rescue my brother._

 _I would let the question wander around my conscience to this day. It was these words that would completely change who I was forever. It was a wake up call for my foolish self who was so blind to power. I would've prevented the kidnapping otherwise._

 _When I found Ichika, he was unharmed but shaken by all this. I didn't ask him what happened, I just took him home where he was safe in my hands._

 _From that day, I made a resolve. Ichika was the only family I had. I pledged to myself to never forget why I obtained power, and to never lose sight of that reason._

 _And that reason is to protect Ichika._

Chifuyu's eyes slowly opened and saw the bright sunlight intrude through the curtain. She sat up from her bed and grabbed her head in fatigue.

' _It's that dream again… I've been having this more often recently…'_

The image of the white masked figure popped into her head.

' _That white mask… I'm surprised it wasn't there to guard Kazuki's body. It wouldn't have been as easy if the white mask was there. We might have even failed to bring him back.'_

She took a bottle of water from the fridge and sipped a couple times in muse,

' _It's been a couple weeks since Kazuki fully recovered. I thought he would sustain brain damage, but luckily, Tabane seemed sure he was fine. Kazuki tries to hide it, but his physical health seemed to have grown a lot weaker; maybe because he's only running on a backup power core_

She shook herself awake, pushing the thought aside. She looked at the clock, it was 8:00. Her class was in an hour and she needed to get ready.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Like always, class one was talking up a storm, getting the most recent rumors around to everyone.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? Some people are saying they saw Shinonono Tabane on campus!"

"Ehhh?! That genius scientist who invented the IS?"

"Yeah, right!"

"I'm serious! I saw her walking with her clinging onto Satoshi-kun's arm the other day!"

"That can't be true! Satoshi-kun was taken by Phantom Task wasn't he?"

"But the teachers are saying that he was away on a long vacation…"

"I don't believe a word they're saying! It was Satoshi-kun on the news! I'm sure of it!"

Meanwhile, Ichika and the girls all silently waited for the teacher to arrive.

Laura simply shook her head incredulously and whispered to herself,

"Fools. They don't know a thing."

The class all fell quiet at the sound of quick and heavy footsteps from the hallway. The classroom door slammed open to reveal Kazuki with a shade of purple on his fear-streaked face.

"Satoshi-kun?!" the class stood up in shock; he should have been in the hands of Phantom Task, but as to why he was here would remain a mystery to them.

Kazuki darted his azure eyes all over the place and saw that the instructor had yet to arrive,

"J-Just in time…"

He threw his bag down and ripped out a blank sheet of paper,

"Someone give me your homework! Now!"

His face was full of panic, waving his sheet of paper around like a maniac.

"You didn't do your homework?" Ichika's eyes widened; he knew what would happen if her sister found out.

Houki slammed her hands against the table in frustration,

"I told you many times! Not to put it off until the last minute, you fool!"

Kazuki turned to Houki,

"Oh, Houki, that's right, you got 94% on your last one, didn't you? Let me copy it off yours."

Houki scolded,

"Absolutely not! Stooping down to plagiarism; I'm disappointed in you! Maybe this will teach you to do your homework properly next time."

"Don't be like that, Houki-san! We're buddies, aren't we?"

"Hmph" she turned away.

Kazuki's face contorted into a funny look of despair.

"Kazuki, just c-calm down. Which exercise do you need?" Charlotte rummaged through her bag in search for her notebook.

Kazuki's face rose in bliss; there was a halo on his head and mock tears drooled from his eyes,

"Ohhhh, Charlotte. You really are the only one I can count on…"

Houki felt a poke in her conscience and fidgeted her hands.

Charlotte blushed happily,

"W-Well, I don't really like sharing my answers, but there's no helping-"

"Not so fast!"

Cecilia quickly shoved Charlotte out of the way and tried to push her notebook onto Kazuki.

"I don't mind sharing answers at all, please help yourself, Kazuki-san!"

Charlotte's eyes flashed with determination and thrusted her notebook at Kazuki's face,

"No! Use mine!

"Nonsense! Charlotte-san, you only got 89% on your last assignment!"

"What are you bragging about?! You're only one percent higher than mine!"

The two blond girls were busy shoving each other away, they didn't notice the difficulty Kazuki was having from reaching out for one of their notebooks.

"Arghh! It doesn't matter who's got better grade! Let me just copy it off before-"

"Copy? Now there's a word I haven't heard in awhile."

The three froze in their spot. Kazuki let out an awkward, high-pitched gasp.

Houki pretended to take important notes on her diary, and Ichika gaped with a nervous sweatdrop.

Charlotte and Cecilia's face turned to a shade of purple at the sight of the person standing behind Kazuki.

His face, once again, was contorted amusingly in despair.

Standing behind Kazuki, Chifuyu continued, cracking her knuckles,

"The last student to say that word, I heard, was never to be seen again…"

Kazuki tried to remain collected, but absolutely refused to turn around. He was dead serious. He felt his life on the balance; he only had one thing he could do.

"O-Orimura-sensei… there is a good reason for this…"

She kept silent but kept her death glare on him.

He suddenly turned around with a clumsy smile in an attempt to look cute,

"I forgot it at home!"

Cecilia and Charlotte saw Kazuki's body zoom past them and his head implanted itself into a wall comically.

The two girls shuttered in fear when they saw the dark expression on Chifuyu's face,

"Go back to your seats."

There was no need for other words; they ran back to their seats, leaving Kazuki still implanted in a wall. They began their homeroom as they always have.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

It was time for the self-directed training for those who owned a personal unit. The rest of the students who didn't own one began to retire. Ichika and the girls also began making their way towards the arena but stopped when they saw Kazuki staring blankly out the window.

"Kazuki, what are you doing, aren't you coming with us?" Charlotte asked.

He noticed Charlotte and the others waiting for him. He shifted his attention to them with a light smile,

"I don't have a personal unit anymore, remember? I can't go to your training sessions without one. I'll just be in the way"

"Don't be stupid! There's no way-" Houki was interrupted when Chifuyu raised a hand.

"You girls go get changed and warm up." she motioned them away, and after a second of hesitation and concern, they left the room. The two were left alone.

Kazuki chuckled,

"You know, I can't help but notice that we've been in this little situation many times before, you and me; this atmosphere."

The raven-haired instructor only stared intently into the blond's azure eyes.

"Is… there something stuck to my face?" he felt the intense stare and felt slightly awkward.

Chifuyu crossed her arms and finally spoke,

"Come to the training session."

He was wondering what she would say; he simply repeated,

"Sensei… I told you, I don't have my unit… I don't need to attend that session, right?"

"You'll still be a good source of learning for Ichika and the girls."

"But Chifuyu-san…"

"I'm not asking you to come, Satoshi. I'm telling you to come."

Kazuki shrugged and sighed with a defeated grin,

"-sigh- stubborn as your little brother, aren't you, sensei…"

Chifuyu took one more look at him; his tone, his attitude. It was different. A little different from before he lost Lyka from the gospel incident.

"Kazuki… Are you still thinking about what happened a week ago?"

He stretched his head back and stared ponderously into the blank ceiling,

"Who knows... Waking up to see the crying faces of my friends, to find out Lyka's gone, and to be marked by the UN as a terrorist… heh, what's next?"

"I wonder how Ene was doing while I was away… It would have been nice to at least thank her…"

"Do you regret it? Regret destroying the Silver Gospel?"

He shook his head,

"No. I was able to save a lot of people for a small price… It was the right thing to do."

"Even if that got you almost killed? Can you really say that it was for a small price?"

"You're being irrational, sensei. A price of one life is less when compared with the lives of many others."

"Don't be naïve!"

Chifuyu suddenly raised her voice angrily,

"Even though it's the life of one soul, its weight is much larger than a million other lives! By sacrificing yourself, you lost most of your ability to fight, you've made a lot of people cry and fall into despair. You even made people risk their lives just to save you."

Kazuki looked down with a thoughtful expression,

"I know that much… I'm not spoiled enough to think that nobody would care. That's why I didn't want to get too close to them at first."

Chifuyu fell silent at that; so he was well aware of it.

He smiled to himself in defeat,

"But you know them; they'll jump in to try and solve problems that's got nothing to do with them and worry for me… How can I leave those kind of idiots on their own?"

"So, that's why… you were always lying to them. For their sake."

The two didn't say a word, and for a few seconds, Kazuki's eyes closed and reopened in new light. He stretched his back and sighed refreshingly,

"The conversation really flowed out of topic, didn't it?"

The blond stood up from his seat and started for the door.

"Where are you going, Kazuki." Chifuyu reached for his arm in an attempt to stop him, but she stopped midway when Kazuki turned around with his usual lazy grin,

"The arena, of course. Ichika and the girls still have a long road ahead of them, and it's our job to guide them, isn't it, sensei?"

Chifuyu smiled,

"That's right."

"Well, it's your job; not mine."

"Read the mood, you fool."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **Clash**

"Everyone at ease! That's the end of the session!"

The students all deactivated their personal IS, all heaving a sigh refreshingly.

With steam exuding from the Uchigane training unit Kazuki was using, he knelt down and shut his unit down.

He was panting heavily and sweat could be seen flowing from his temples.

' _How pathetic… Tired already with only this much training… I've become weak.'_

"Hey, you alright, Kazuki?" Ichika came over with a look of concern.

Kazuki chuckled and waved his hand,

"Hahaha… This is nothing! It feels creepy when you look at me like that, so quit it!"

Ichika looked at his friend carefully; he seemed unusually tired, but he seemed fine for the most part.

"Well, if you say so…"

The girls all walked up to the blonde with looks of gratitude.

"Hey, that move you showed me, it was actually pretty useful during the spar!"

Rin said, imitating it the best she could in a lackluster fashion.

Cecilia approved with a nod,

"Kazuki-san's quite good with teaching, don't you agree?"

"Surprisingly." Houki added cheekily.

Laura gave Kazuki a kind grin,

"Even if you did lose the ability to use Lyka, your skills are still quite incredible with the Uchigane. And your guidance has been very helpful."

"Tell me about it! That Uchigane is toasted from being overworked!" Charlotte pointed at the steaming default unit with awe.

"You know, the teacher is there to teach." Kazuki pointed out; he gestured towards Chifuyu, who was relaxing on one of the spectator seats.

"Just look at that slacker! You're all paying the damn academy fortunes to attend! You gotta work her hard!"

Rin grinned mischievously and then quickly turned towards Chifuyu and shouted,

"Orimura-sensei~ Kazuki called you a slacker!"

"Damn it, you little…!" He quickly tried to cover her mouth with widened eyes.

Chifuyu crossed her arms with an amused smirk,

"Hoh?"

Kazuki quickly straightened while sweating bullets,

"A-Ah, s...sla... sli… slick! Yeah! Slick! I said Slick!"

The group all sweat dropped dumbly.

Kazuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with a nervous smile,

"Yahh~ Orimura-sensei has such a nice slick body, doesn't she! Ah hah… Ahahahaha…"

Rin facepalmed.

"Pervert…" Charlotte muttered to herself.

Laura only looked down at her body timidly, deep in thought.

Chifuyu only shook her head incredulously.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

The male changing room was quiet, and Kazuki was sat alone on one of the benches, staring at his mechanical arms.

' _Pressure Release Sequence 1.'_

When he muttered the words silently, parts around both of his bionic arms opened up and released steam with a sizzling gush. The blond let out a tired sigh,

' _I didn't think it would accumulate this much pressure… The Uchigane must be incredibly inefficient…'_

Suddenly his vision darkened and he felt a pair of cold hands cover his eyes from behind.

"Guess who~"

It was the voice of a slightly older girl, and playful. He didn't recognize it.

Kazuki turned around with a bit of a scowl, a tick mark on his forehead.

"Hah?!"

He wasn't in a particularly good mood, per se. How dare she sneak up on him like that. In the male's changing room, not to mention.

When he turned around, the girl pouted cutely,

"You're no fun... Looks like the other girls were right about you being a delinquent."

The girl had short spiky bright turquoise hair and a pair of ruby eyes. She held a fan with her like a classy lady, and on the front, it read, "Unmatched".

He furrowed a brow impatiently,

"Have we met? Because I don't know you."

The girl did a cute little twirl and giggled,

"Fufufu, really? Because I know you, Satoshi Ka-zu-ki-kun!"

' _Another weird one…'_

Kazuki pinched the bridge of his nose,

"What's your name?"

"It's Sarashiki Tatenashi! But you can call me Tatenashi!"

He ignored,

"Look, Sarashiki. You have guts to just march into the guy's changing room; I'll give you that. But my next class is with that damnable demon called Chifuyu, and I don't have time to talk."

He stood up from the bench and started off, but stopped when Tatenashi spoke again with confidence,

"The tragic hero who died saving Japan, but gets nothing but a title of a terrorist in return… Don't you think it has a nice ring to it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Tatenashi grinned victoriously,

"There's no point feigning ignorance, Kazuki-kun; I was there with Orimura-sensei at the UN conference when they marked you on the blacklist."

Kazuki turned around with a confused squint on his face,

"Just who are you?"

She giggled blissfully,

"I told you, Sarashiki Tatenashi."

Kazuki shook his head dumbly to himself,

"I don't have time for this."

"Oh, you should get going or you'll be in trouble with Orimura-sensei, if you don't hurry up. See ya!"

"You don't have to tell me that!" Kazuki shouted comically with sharp teeth.

With that, she was gone.

' _-sigh- I wasted too much time. What time is it…?'_

Kazuki turned to the clock just across from him and all colors drained from his face.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Class one was absolutely silent; with all the students' attention on Chifuyu, who was in the middle of talking. Kazuki was there in front of the class, Chifuyu staring at him with her arms crossed.

All the girls were staring at him.

"So… Is that your excuse for being late?" The raven-haired instructor didn't seem all that impressed starting from the blond student's appearance. He didn't even have his necktie on properly.

"Sensei… I know I've been nothing but trouble, but you gotta trust me this time." At this point, Kazuki was begging.

Chifuyu took a step forward and leaned closer into his face,

"I see. So you were late because you prioritized a conversation with some girl you had never even met?" The hazel eyes bore into Kazuki's and he had to take a small step back.

"Well... "

Chifuyu cocked a brow expecting an answer.

Kazuki pretended to blush and rubbed the back of his head shyly,

"She was really pretty. And I'd take that over anything, really."

Without another word, Chifuyu turned to Charlotte,

"Dunois! Demonstrate the rapid switch for the class!"

"Eh?!"

Charlotte stood up silently and began walking towards the front.

Kazuki grabbed hold of Chifuyu's front collars for dear life,

"W-Wait a minute! That was a joke! You do know that was a joke right?! I mean, have I ever lied to you before?"

Houki suddenly raised her hand,

"He has."

"Oi!" Kazuki retorted comically.

Cecilia and Laura all started raising hands,

"Houki-san's right."

"I agree."

"You guys, stop talking!" He tried to shush them immediately but Charlotte was already in front of him.

"U-Um… Charlotte-san…?"

Charlotte only gave him an eye smile while deploying Revive as if there's nothing wrong.

"What is it, Satoshi-kun?"

Her expression darkened and stressed the last bit of her sentence.

The barrel of her submachine guns fell onto Kazuki.

"Déjà vu…?"

"Let's go! Revive!"

The IS academy rang with the scream of a certain blond male, accompanied by a sound of gunfire.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **At the school assembly** …

Kazuki massaged his temples with a fatigued look,

' _Oh fate… Why me…'_

" **Now, the student council president will wrap it up."**

Just as the assembly was about to finish, a girl with short turquoise hair walked up to the microphone.

Kazuki hummed to himself for a second,

' _Hmm… so that's the student council president, huh? She looks pretty strong.'_

The blonde paused.

' _Mmm…. Wait a second… why does she look familiar…?'_

"Well, well. Things have been so hectic this year, I wasn't even able to introduce myself." the president girl began.

Snot ran down one of Kazuki's nostrils and he mentally pointed at the girl up on stage with the most stupid expression.

"...my name is Sarashiki Tatenashi. I am the head of all students. Nice to meet you all."

Tatenashi then made direct eye contact with the blond and threw him a cheeky wink.

A vein on his temple bulged and his hands formed fists of anger,

' _That little skank! When I get my hands on her…'_

His thoughts were interrupted when Tatenashi continued,

"Anyways, as for the school festival coming this month, I wish you all the best for coming up with what you want to do as a class. Dismissed!"

And just like that, everyone slowly walked out of the theatre, back to their classrooms.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"Alright… As a class representative… I took a look at all the suggestions for our class activity…" Kazuki trailed off.

 **Orimura Ichika's Host Club**

 **Twister with Satoshi Kazuki**

 **Speed Dating with Satoshi Kazuki and Orimura Ichika**

 **Pockey Play with Satoshi Kazuki and Orimura Ichika**

 **The King game with Satoshi Kazuki**

Kazuki facepalmed at the list and raised his voice comically,

"You guys… give me something to work with here… You all know this isn't going to work."

"Ehhhh?!" the girls whined in dissatisfaction.

Ichika rose from his seat with a blush,

"I agree with Kazuki! I decline! Who would want to do stuff like this anyway!"

One of the girls smiled blissfully,

"I would! I'm sure I would!"

Another spoke out,

"She's right! She's right! You boys should follow through with your duty to please girls!"

' _Oi, oi, now that's crossing the line!'_ Kazuki thought mentally.

"Orimura Ichika is our common property!"

"Satoshi Kazuki is our play-thing!"

' _Oi! They took the line and threw it out the window!'_ Kazuki's face contorted into a funny expression.

The blond turned to Yamada just next to him for help,

"Yamada-sensei, you wouldn't approve of this, would you?"

The green-haired instructor seemed to be spacing out in some kind of thought; a thought Kazuki wouldn't want to know.

"Hmm? Umm… Well…"

She seemed to hesitate for a second, but then, she blushed shyly,

"I-I'd like the one with the Pocky…"

' _She's no good either!'_

This was perhaps the first and last time he would wish Chifuyu was here to correct the situation. But she had to be away at a conference meeting, much to Kazuki's annoyance.

"Anyway! I need something more normal! Or I'm going to get crucified by your teacher!" Kazuki was begging at this point.

"How about a maid cafe?"

Everyone wowed in awe as Laura threw out the suggestion.

Kazuki lightly slammed his hands against the surface of the stand and pointed at her excitedly,

"Yes! That! Something like that!"

The platinum-haired girl continued logically,

"I'm sure it's going to be received well. Besides, with an eatery, you earn back the money you spend on it."

Several rows in front of where Laura was sitting, Charlotte rested her chin on her hand for a second to think, then nodded with a smile,

"I think it's a good idea. Why don't we have Ichika and Kazuki be either a butler or a kitchen worker?"

"Ohhh! Orimura-kun as a butler! Sounds good!"

"Satoshi-kun's going to look so good in a tuxedo! I can't wait!"

"Ehhh…" Ichika didn't seem like he was too happy about it.

"Alright, so maid cafe it is then. Anyone with an objection?" Kazuki finalized with a decisive grin.

"Nope!" the class answered happily.

Houki looked out the window thoughtfully,

"A maid cafe, huh…"

Kazuki smirked to himself jokingly

"Finally, I'll be able to flaunt my charms to the girls from different years. I'll show them the reason why they call me the soldier of love! Mwahahahahahaha!"

The eyes of the 4 heroines narrowed like a tiger's the instant the words left Kazuki's mouth.

But Kazuki, unaware of the glares, continued laughing majestically.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **Meanwhile…**

"Satoshi Kazuki? Are you sure?"

Chifuyu was in the headmaster's office, a serious look adorning her face. The headmaster was a rather normal looking man in his mid 50s; chubby and wrinkly.

"Yes. We recovered his body back in December… He woke up a few weeks back… Though he is showing signs of weakness…"

"But didn't the Japanese government announce his death during that time? How could he have survived that nuclear explosion?"

"I'm not too sure myself, but it seems like his unit saved him in the last second. "

"I see… That's very fortunate of him, isn't it?"

Chifuyu didn't respond. She pondered upon the word for awhile; fortunate.

' _Would he really think he was fortunate…? Or…'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke again,

"Shall we have him sent over to the national medical centre? I hear they have the greatest medical treatment in the country."

"...No…" Chifuyu slightly hesitated to answer, and the headmaster thought it weird for her to do so.

"Is there a problem? You seem on edge, Orimura-sensei."

Chifuyu stared into the chubby man's eyes; she couldn't read him very well, but for a second she was relieved,

' _It doesn't look like the government knows Kazuki is still alive. Good.'_

"Headmaster… everything I said about Satoshi Kazuki, you mustn't let anyone else know, especially the government."

"...why is that?" the old man gave her a confused look.

"I cannot tell you the reason… But I ask you to make sure nothing happens to him. Please."

Chifuyu slightly lowered her head, which came as a surprise to the headmaster.

He beamed,

"Hahaha! It seems like you are quite fond of your favourite student; bowing down like that on his behalf."

The man then sat up straight and continued reassuringly,

"Very well. I will keep everything confidential, as you wish. Besides, all students of the IS academy are given political immunity. He should be fine."

They were the words Chifuyu probably wanted to hear the most. She felt a massive load fall off her shoulders.

"Thank you very much, headmaster."

The man smiled and waved his hand,

"Hahaha! The academy's motto is 'students' needs come first'! I am simply honouring it! Now hurry along to your class, Orimura-sensei. And don't treat your favourite too specially! You are a teacher."

Chifuyu left with another grateful bow and closed the door behind her.

The instant the door closed shut behind Chifuyu, the smile on the man's face disappeared and was replaced by a smirk of evil intent.

He picked up the phone and began dialling,

"...It's me… Yes… We found him… Let our friends in the government know of the good news."


	22. IS S2 Chapter 2

**A/N: So, this one is a much longer chapter, so I hope you enjoy it; took me awhile to finish it. But damn... I've got my semester exams coming in a month, which absolutely sucks.**

 **I don't really have much to say; and I'm sure you guys don't enjoy my random ramblings, so I'll spare you from that.**

 **Like always, thank you for your continued interest in my fanfic. I know it's frustrating to have to wait a month for a chapter, but all I can do is to beg for your patience and understanding. Of course, I can make a bunch of excuses, but that's just not my style, so...**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 2**

Spring; a season associated with the beginning; a new start. Kazuki peacefully stared out the window to see the trees standing tall and the flowers blooming, glazed with the pearls of morning dew. He tried to enjoy the peace as the scenery passed by slowly as the train staggered its way to the destination, but the sound of the wheels hitting against the tracks was preventing him from doing so.

 _'It's the year 2101, and yet we still haven't invented a quieter train…'_ he sighed dejectedly, turning his attention from the window to the newspaper in his hand titled;

 **'Leaders around the world gather to discuss about the underground organization, Phantom Task, and their recent appearance in the pacific ocean'**

Kazuki had heard about the terrorist attack that happened in a major UN branch in Russia three years ago. Most people say it was Phantom Task, but they never gave an explanation to their motives; no one knew. Some say it was an accident. Some say it was an act of god, and some say it was an act of vengeance by someone with a grudge against the UN. But the surprising thing about this was the fact that there was one thing all the rumors have in common; it was all done by a single person. Hundreds of innocent people killed by the hands of a single being.

The blond let out a puff in doubt,

"As if that's possible… I swear… These rumors are going to be the end of us all…"

He traced his eyes down the article and by coincidence, saw a small picture of a familiar girl. Short and spiky, turquoise hair with ruby eyes; it was the student council president.

It gave a small profile about Sarashiki Tatenashi; and Kazuki was surprised to see that she was an IS representative.

"Mysterious Lady…? Huh… So she was an IS representative of Russia…"

He put the newspaper down and looked up into the ceiling in thought,

 _'But I can't shake off this weird feeling telling me that I've seen this girl from somewhere before... Oh well, probably not important anyway…'_

Putting the thought aside, Kazuki pondered about something Ichika and the girls told him this afternoon.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"End of the spring date and festival…? What is this?"_

 _Kazuki blankly stared at a brochure advertising a recently opened amusement park. The blond was eating lunch at the school cafeteria, sat together with Ichika and the girls. He was having a nice bowl of hot, steaming ramen, but one of the girls thrusted the brochure into his face, forcing him to read it. Now his noodles were soggy. Simply put, he was not impressed._

 _"It's the pool event at the amusement park they opened just this year!" Ichika said enthusiastically._

 _"Swimming? In spring?"_

 _"What's wrong with that?" Charlotte asked curiously._

 _She had a point._

 _"They're going to have the street festivals too afterwards! Like, they'll have so much game stands!" Rin added._

 _The thought slightly excited Houki, though she tried to pretend to be uninterested,_

 _"I heard they're going to be doing some fireworks afterwards…"_

 _"Kazuki-san will come with us, won't you?" Cecilia leaned in slightly into Kazuki. The others did the same and looked at him eagerly._

 _"How much is it per person?"_

 _Ichika hummed and flipped the brochure around,_

 _"Mmm… It says… Around 6,100 yen (61$) for adults."_

 _"6-6,100 yen?! That's expensive!"_

 _"That's… expensive…?"_

 _They all seemed to look at him in confusion and then Kazuki realized,_

 _'Ahhh… I forgot… I'm enrolled into a rich kid school…' he face palmed._

 _"Plus, I intentionally avoid pools and beaches. It's not good for my prosthetics. So you guys go ahead without me."_

 _Kazuki saw the downed look in everyone's face and he regretted it instantly._

 _"C'mon… We don't go out together as often as we should… And this only happens once a year." Ichika tried to plead, but Kazuki put his hand out._

 _"Kazuki…"_

 _"Kazuki-san…"_

 _The girls noticed the hesitant look on Kazuki's face and tried to look even sadder to guilt trip him into coming with them._

 _'Ughh… I really don't want to go… These little buggers… Trying to guilt trip me like that...'_

 _Kazuki sighed,_

 _"-sigh- You know, I wish I could go. I really do-"_

 _"Liar." Houki cut in sourly._

 _The blond flinched and sweatdropped,_

 _"But I have an important errand to run this afternoon. So I can't come. I'm really sorry."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

 _'Going over to Tabaco's place became a good excuse for me not to go, but I do feel a little bad…'_

The sheer thought about the trouble he would run into if he were to go to a pool with tons of half-naked men and women made him shake in fear. It was best to avoid places like those; the main protagonists of many stories have fallen prey to the cliché accidental breast grabs and the slipping of girls' bikini top.

 _'Yeah, I made the smart choice of not going.'_

Suddenly, his vision shook, and the ceiling seemed to fade for a second. Kazuki massaged his temples to shove the pain away,

 _'Damn… Looks like my power core is running out of juice…'_

Before he knew it, the train had come to a stop in a modest village in the corner of Japan. He walked for a good two hours in the middle of a forest, and came upon a large compound. Kazuki could see the metal gate, and behind it, a Japanese style mansion that was familiar to him.

He pressed the chime twice before a monotonic voice replied,

 **"Who is this?"**

Kazuki's expression brightened immediately when he recognized the voice,

"It's me, Chronicle. You guys should've been expecting me; telling me to come for a check-up all of a sudden. Though, it was a good timing."

There was a sigh on the other side, but after a few moments, the gate opened.

He walked in and took a deep breath in. It has been awhile for the youth. The scent of the forest with the mix of oil and scrap metal. He could see metal parts lying around the ground everywhere.

 _'She's worse than a kid…'_ he couldn't help but let a grin escape from his mouth.

"Oi."

Kazuki turned around when a familiar voice called to him. It was a short girl with long platinum coloured hair, her eyes closed, and a cane in her left hand.

"Wow… I can't believe you haven't grown an inch. It must be some kind of a hidden talent amongst the lolis." he said, walking up to her with an amused grin.

Chloe crossed her arms and spoke in an unimpressed tone,

"Your twisted way of thinking never fails to baffle me…"

"Hahaha! Why you little…" Kazuki placed his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair.

 **Smack**

"I would appreciate it if you didn't touch me so casually." Chloe turned away, rubbing the edge of her cane, leaving Kazuki with a large lump on his head and with a stupid look on his face.

"Feisty as always… Looks like height isn't the only thing that didn't change."

Chloe whipped her head around with a comical glare and raised her cane threateningly.

"Hey, hey… easy with the cane…"

Kazuki grinned. He missed this atmosphere. A sense of where he really belonged; perhaps not quite, but it was the only place he had to call home.

"Anyway, where's-" before he could even finish his sentence, something jumped on him from behind.

"Kazu-chan~!" It was Tabane, stuck to his back like glue.

"Do you always have to jump up on me like this every time we see each other?"

"What a silly question from my silly Tom!"

"Let's just get this over and done with; I feel like I'm going to collapse."

...

"... and don't call me Tom."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

I asked Tabaco to take a look at my nearly burnt out core and to see if I needed a new one. How do I know if it's nearly burnt out?

-chuckle- you'd know. You feel weak, you can't eat like you always have, and your body feels cold; yeah, like a dead body.

There I was, lying on my back on a surface long enough to fit my height. My metal chest piece was opened up and Tabaco and Chronicle would be shadowing over me with their tools for "repair".

"How's it looking?"

"The transfusion mechanism is broken; the metal frame's melted around the core and also some rusting around the edges. No wonder Kazu-chan's feeling weak and cold. They're symptoms of Hypovolemia."

I squinted in annoyance,

"English. Please."

"It means your blood was not circulating properly throughout your body." Chronicle answered.

For a second I stared at her as if she was an alien.

"What are you staring at?" she gave me an irritated look.

I blinked, then came to,

"For a second I thought you were an imposter. Because you know; you'd add phrases like 'you fool' or 'incompetent beast' at the end of a sentence. Don't tell me you've softened up on me, Chronicle." I smirked deviously and was rewarded a sharp needle poke just above my collar bones.

"Oww! Oi! Careful with that thing!"

"Oh my, well would you look at that? I missed."

I looked over to Tabaco in slight concern,

"Oi, Tabaco, you sure I'll be alright?"

"If it's about Ku-chan, there's nothing to worry about! She's just injecting you with some anesthetics."

"Anesthetics? Is it going to hurt?"

"..."

I didn't like how she remained quiet at that. So it was going to hurt. Great.

"-sigh- just get this over with, please."

Tabaco nodded at that and looked at Chronicle,

"Ku-chan, is everything prepared?"

The platinum haired midget nodded as well,

"Yes Tabane-sama. We are clear to begin."

I felt the effects of the drug kick in; and my body felt slightly numb. It was an all-too-familiar experience; I felt slightly uncomfortable.

But I kept telling myself,

 _'It's not like the last time… Tabane will take care of it the best she can… I trust her.'_

"Tom, this is going to hurt so please bear with the pain for a little bit."

I felt her hands rest softly on top of the exposed core.

I braced for the pain, and agony was an understatement. She pulled on the burnt out core to take it out, but the melted metal frame refused to let it go. It was stuck. Not only that, there were small spaces in between which allowed the core to scratch against the sharp edge of the deformed metal frame.

Even with the effect of the anesthetics, my mind was going blank from the sheer pain. My senses started to become impaired; I couldn't hear anything but the sound of high pitch ringing, the corners of my vision darkened, and my whole body tensed up to the point where I should be tearing every single muscle in my body.

All that ensued afterwards was just the sound of my screams filling the residence.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The sound of sizzling vegetables on hot oil filled the kitchen of the Shinonono residence. The birds were singing just outside the sink window, and Kazuki could feel the cool breeze brush past his face.

 _'Ichika and the gang should be at the amusement park by now… I just hope nothing bad happens…'_ he mused over in concern, making finishing touches to his usual stir fried rice. He added some extra chilli and coriander to Tabane and Chloe's plate.

He carried the plates into the dining room where Chloe and Tabane sat waiting.

"Ahh! Tom's stir fry special! Yahoo!" Tabane cheered loudly, raising her arms high, her spoon still in her hand.

"Jeez, calm down, and move that remote out of the way. I can't put the plate down."

"Oh, oh! Did I tell you about the new rabbit bot I invented recently? The button here controls its air-combat weaponry and this button-"

"You want the food or not?" he raised a brow and threatened with the plate of food in his hand.

"Okay!" she immediately shoved her remote into her cleavage and watched as her plate of stir fry was set gently in front of her.

Once the blond set the plate in front of Chloe, he was surprised to see the hesitant look in her face.

"Extra chilli and coriander…?" she mumbled, stabbing the stir fry a couple times with her spoon.

For a second, Kazuki left the spoon hanging in his mouth in thought. Then he quickly remembered,

"Oh, sorry! I forgot you don't like spicy food. Do you want mine instead? I don't do very well with spicy stuff either, so mine doesn't have too much chilli."

The purple haired however happily shovelled the stir fry into her mouth,

"Eh? Ku-chan you don't like spicy food? It's soooo good though!"

Chloe quickly turned to her food with a timid blush,

"No… If Tabane-sama likes it..."

She carefully tried a spoonful, and she would regret the decision very much. Chloe's face brightened in red and tears glistened in the corner of her eyes.

"Ahk!"

Kazuki handed her a cup of water. Chloe snatched it out of his hand and gulped it down.

She breathed out, regaining her composure.

"Is it that spicy?"

Chloe silently threw him a glare and that was enough of an answer.

"-sigh- you're a piece of work, you know that?" The blond chided, switching his plate with Chloe's.

Perhaps Chloe didn't expect it, but she seemed surprised,

"I thought you didn't like spicy food either."

Kazuki pointed at her with his spoon with a gleeful smirk,

"Don't worry, I'm not as bad with it as you are."

Chloe simply "hmphed" and began eating the less spicy stir fry.

"It's good…" she muttered to herself.

But unfortunately for her, Kazuki heard it and gave her a cheeky smirk.

She quickly turned away with a light blush,

"Hmph!"

"Besides it's the least I can do for you. I heard you helped to bring me back."

The little girl flinched and felt a bit of heat rising to her face; not from the spiciness, but from something else.

She saw the warm genuine smile on his face as he expressed his gratitude,

"Thank you."

Chloe was stunned for a second; she thought she would never see the serious side of the man in front of her. In fact, he looked at her almost as if he's opened himself to her completely.

"Tom…"

Kazuki's spoon stopped midway,

"Mmm? Did I just hear you call me Tom…?"

"...You're hearing things."

As if nothing had happened at all, Chloe continued to eat without answering the question.

The blond stared dumbly at her thinking that perhaps he really was hearing things.

"Anyways… I'm not going through that ever again… There's a limit to how much pain I can take."

Tabane shovelled the last bit of her food in,

"It was painful because the core was a backup and it had been overworked. So if Kazu-chan doesn't want to go through that again, you'll have to come every month for maintenance."

"Every month? Didn't you already give me a proper core?"

Chloe butted in,

"It is only but a prototype. Tabane-sama and I are trying to perfect the schematics for the complete core at the moment."

"In order to prevent the core from burning Kazu-chan inside-out, we need to manually cool it down and check for malfunctions."

Kazuki sighed and pulled his head back,

"Ughh… I feel like a damn patient…"

Tabane put her hands together and smiled brightly,

"But that means Onee-chan will get to see Kazu-chan every month!"

An aura of blooming flowers enveloped the genius scientist and Kazuki couldn't help but grin lightly.

"I guess so… Besides, I've got to make sure you're not doing anything stupid."

Then something reminded Tabane,

"Oh and Kazu-chan."

"Mm?"

"Are you busy this afternoon?"

"Not in particular. Why?"

Tabane blushed happily,

"Let's go on a date!"

The instant the word left the girl's mouth, Chloe and Kazuki both spat out the contents in their mouth.

"Tabane-sama?!"

The blond felt a bit of heat creep up to his face,

"A-A date…?"

Tabane nodded furiously,

"Mmhmm! A boy and a girl going out to do things together!"

"I'm surprised you even know what that means…"

Kazuki then remembered something,

 **-Flashback-**

 _"You know what, don't worry about what I said. Just-"_

 _When he turned around, Tabane closed the distance between them and locked her lips with Kazuki before he could react._

 _His eyes widened, taken completely by surprise. Her lips were soft, and he could smell the lavender from her long purple hair. He didn't even notice that she had grabbed him by his shirt collar to pull him down to her lips._

 **-End of Flashback-**

 _'Don't tell me… Could she be…?'_

Suddenly, Chloe slammed her hands onto the surface of the table,

"You mustn't, Tabane-sama! Not with this perverted beast!"

Tabane's eyes widened for a second, but her expression quickly changed into a dubious smile,

"Heh~ now, is Ku-chan a little jelly?"

"...T-That is not the issue here! For I am your loyal servant, I cannot leave you with this abomination!"

"If Ku-chan wants to come, that's okay too." Tabane smiled blissfully.

"So I must... Hmm? I-I can?"

"Wait, she can?" Kazuki furrowed his brows in oblivion.

Tabane let out a devious giggle and took the two out.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Oh hey! What a coincidence! I didn't think you were coming!"

Kazuki was staring at someone awfully familiar. It was Houki in her swim wear.

"..."

Houki was smiling at him as if Kazuki was really there by pure coincidence, but that was obviously not the case; he was at a massive water amusement park, where Ichika and the girls had planned to go today.

 _'Damn… They set me up.'_

Tabane had told him to wait at the entrance while Chloe and her go shopping for their swim wears. But they ended up never showing up.

He facepalmed,

 _'I was stupid to even get my hopes up…'_

The blond looked back at Houki and her swim wear again. A standard red bikini set with her personal IS in the form of red straps on her wrist.

"Did you get another set of bikini? What happened to the white set you wore during the summer excursion?"

"A-Ah… those…"

What Kazuki just said brought up bad memories from deep within Houki's conscience.

The only person who saw Houki in her white bikini set during the summer was Kazuki when he was confronted by her about his true intentions.

 **-Flashback-**

 _"All the things you said to Ichika, Cecilia, Rin, Charles, Laura, and me… All the things we did together as friends, were they all just a lie too? Because you felt indebted to my sister?!"_

 _"You're the worst! I hope you disappear and never come back! You monster!"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Houki felt a pang of guilt in her chest and winced slightly, and Kazuki noticed it, but decided to remain quiet.

"More importantly, Kazuki… There's something I have to tell you."

Immediately, she dropped her head in a bow,

"I'm sorry… For everything… While you're out there risking your life to protect us, all I've done for you was to just make life difficult for you; saying all those harsh things."

She couldn't raise her head; there were too much shame on her shoulders to do so.

"I wouldn't be surprised… but Kazuki, do you… hate me?"

After being silent this whole time, Kazuki finally began,

"You asked me if I was here only because I was indebted to Tabane; that all the nice things we've done with Ichika and the others were just for show."

Houki flinched.

He continued,

"And it's true. I was simply here solely because I owed her a large favour."

Though she expected the answer, tears threaten to fall from Houki's tightly shut eyes.

"But."

She was taken aback by his continuation. Was there more? Did she want to hear them? She braced for a great deal of damage to her heart.

"But then I met you guys and got to know you guys at a deeper level, and at some point in the middle, I started to care and enjoy every moment from the bottom of my heart."

Kazuki looked up wistfully,

"Besides, hate…? I don't think I'm capable of harbouring such strong feelings for someone. Especially not towards a good friend."

Houki slowly looked up see a warm smile on his face,

"Kazuki…"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

"Sorry. Looks like I was just rambling on. It's a fine day today; we don't need to dwell on something depressing. Where are the others?"

Houki smiled slightly in relief,

"They're all waiting for you by the changing room."

She then pulled Kazuki by his wrist excitedly,

"C'mon!"

He hasn't seen it in awhile, Houki smiling like that. Kazuki couldn't help but also grin.

Ichika and the rest of the girls were just waiting outside the changing rooms; when they saw Kazuki, they all waved at him.

"Oi! Over here, Kazuki!" Ichika seemed delighted to his fellow friend.

The girls were happy to see him too, however, they were pretending that this was a coincidence.

"Ohh! So you ended coming! I guess you changed your mind." Charlotte beamed.

Rin grinned dubiously,

"He's probably here to observe girls in bikinis."

"My, then please don't hesitate to look, Kazuki-san, I had these ordered specially for today!" Cecilia exclaimed proudly while flaunting her expensive looking bikini.

"Guhhh… I'm not going to lose!" Laura tried to do the same, but with an awkward blush.

Kazuki sweatdropped,

"Guys… I'm not some perverted old man…"

"You certainly act like one." Houki added much to his chagrin.

Then he realized something,

"Well, I'm here, but the thing is I don't have anything to change into so, you guys go on ahead and enjoy yourselves. I'll be lying down under the sun to get some sleep-"

"Not so fast!" All the girls shouted in unison.

"If it's a swimming wear you're looking for, I bought one for you earlier today. I figured you're two sizes bigger than mine. I hope that's okay with you." Ichika said casually while handing him a shopping bag.

 _'Damn it, why are you so nice, Ichika!'_ Kazuki screamed internally.

He decided to give up: he took the bag and walked off towards the changing room.

"Alright. I'll just man up and get this over with. You guys wait out here. I'll be back in a minute."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was nerve-wracking to say the least. There were a lot of people around him, and Kazuki didn't feel exactly confident changing.

But he mustered up his courage and took his black compression long sleeves off. Just as he expected, stares from the people around him were fixed on the numerous scars on his well-toned body and also his jet black metal arms. He took off the leather gloves and changed his IS academy trousers into the swim shorts, revealing his bionic left leg.

"Oi, check out that guy."

"Look at all that scar on his front and back. Jeez…"

"He's also got a tattoo on his chest… Scary…"

"Don't speak so loudly, he'll hear you!"

"He's got weird metal parts too… Best to stay away…"

The murmurs only continued, and although it didn't bother him too much, he didn't want to remain in the room any longer than he had to.

But he was thankful that Ichika had also bought him a plain white T-shirt to allow him to cover most of his scars.

He shoved all his belongings into his locker and walked out.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Oh, there he is. He's coming out." Ichika said.

Rin lightly elbowed Ichika's side after having a look at the design of the swim shorts,

"Pink and tropical flowers? Are you serious?"

"W-Well, nothing I could do. That was the only one they had for sale."

However the European trio thought otherwise,

"Mm… It might work…"

"I-Indeed… It's beautiful in a weird way…"

"Heilige scheiße..."

The three girls blushed, gaping at Kazuki's outfit with the exception of Laura who was having a bloody nose.

Kazuki didn't seem very impressed by the colour scheme of his swimming trunks,

"Haha… Very funny… Pink and tropical flowers. You got me, Ichika." he chided jokingly.

Houki, however, had her gaze fixed on the jet black metal leg and arms,

 _'He's gone through so much… Yet he never shows it… because he doesn't want to make us worried...'_

The blond noticed the intense gaze coming from said girl,

"I know my swim shorts are strange, but if you stare at me like that…"

She was taken by surprise and stuttered slightly,

"Huh? O-Oh, nono. I think you look fine in that."

 _'What good is complimenting him going to do!?'_ Houki mentally slapped herself.

Kazuki sweatdropped, but regardless, he smiled gratefully,

"Haha… Thanks. At least you don't seem weirded out by it."

The European trio all jumped in desperately,

"I-I also think you look fitting in it, Kazuki!"

"Yes, yes! Absolutely model worthy!"

"Das ist sehr gut!"

"Why German!? If you're going to say something, say it in English!" Kazuki retorted comically.

Cecilia noticed the white T-shirt and felt slightly annoyed,

"Kazuki-san, will you be keeping that shirt on even in the pool?"

"Yeah, problem?"

Cecilia placed her hands on her hips and slightly let her chest out proudly,

"One should not be ashamed to show a bit of skin from time to time, Kazuki-san! If you are really a man, then you should take it off and show your guts!"

 _'This isn't good… She's saying things that perverts say…'_ Kazuki mused with a sweatdropped.

"Take his shirt off…?" Laura trailed off as she eyed Kazuki's body.

She once again bled through her nose, her imagination running rampant,

"S-Sehr gut…"

"Enough with that joke!"

It seemed Charlotte was thinking the same thing, and she was also having a bloody nose,

"Madre de dios…"

"You're supposed to use French here! Why Spanish?! Read the mood!"

Rin was looking at Kazuki in a similar way, and he was expecting her to comment,

 _'She'll probably say something in Latin or in Ancient Chinese or something.'_

Rin finally opened her mouth to speak,

"√ⅰ∂ㄅ₮ｻς ﾉк√ｻ"

"What language even is that?! At least speak like a normal human being!"

Kazuki panted, out of breath from all the retorting.

Charlotte and the other girls giggled whole-heartedly,

"Hehehe! It's so fun teasing Kazuki. He always retorts with that funny look in his face."

"That's true." Houki smiled.

Kazuki sighed,

"-sigh- give me a break, will you?"

Houki observed the scenery; Ichika, Kazuki and the girls were fooling around as usual. It calmed her in a way.

 _'Even though all that happened a couple months ago, we're here like this, with nothing really to worry about.'_

She smiled in a relaxed manner,

 _'I hope it continues for a long time… but…'_

Unfortunately though, she still remembered how Kazuki was branded a terrorist for the nuclear explosion in the middle of the pacific ocean. It seems as though the government had not made a move yet, probably because they didn't know he was still alive.

Rin then saw something that took her interest, snapping Houki and the others out of their thoughts,

"Oh! Guys look! Water slide!"

"Woah! It's huge!"

"But it looks like a pair slide."

"A pair slide?"

"It's where you have two people holding each other while you slide down."

Charlotte blushed,

"H-Hold each other?!"

That gave Kazuki an idea,

 _'A pair slide… This is a good opportunity. I need to put Ichika and Houki together as much as possible.'_

 **-Flashback-**

 _"Hey Shinonono, do you like Ichika?"_

 _Houki's face turned red like a tomato and was very flustered,_  
 _"W-W-What are you saying all of sudden?! I-I don't l-l-like him!"_

 _"Ehh? But I saw you stealing glances at him during introductions."_

 _"He's just a childhood friend! What's it matter to you anyway?!" Houki pointed her finger at Kazuki accusingly with a blush on her face._

 _Kazuki scratched the back of his head sheepishly,_  
 _"Well, I'm Ichika's friend, and you could say I'm also his wingman. Although he doesn't know that…"_

 _"Wingman…?" Houki trailed off perplexedly._

 _"It means that I will be helping you two get together." Kazuki threw her a light grin._

 _"But why would you…?"_

 _"I told you, I'm Ichika's friend."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

Kazuki slightly grinned in his moment of nostalgia.

 _'Now that I think about it, I used to call her by her family name...'_

"...uki! Kazuki!"

He snapped out of his daze when Houki lightly shook his arm.

"What are doing spacing out all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing. And actually…"

Kazuki turned to Ichika,

"Hey Ichika, you should pair with Ho-"

"Ichika, let's go on the slide together!" Rin interrupted.

 _'Ah! Rin. I forgot. Damn… this is getting complicated.'_ the blond grunted in annoyance.

Suddenly, he felt an extra weight on his arm when Cecilia hugged into it,

"Then I will be pairing up with Kazuki-san! Let us make haste, Kazuki-san!"

"Wha-" Houki stumbled.

Kazuki tried to free himself from her clinging, but she was surprisingly strong.

"A-Ah wait a minute…"

"Ahh! No fair Cecilia! Let's do Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide! Fair and square." Charlotte protested.

"You too, Rin!" Laura motioned Rin to come sternly.

"Tch… What a pain…"

Cecilia noticed Houki just standing about blankly,

"Houki-san, what are you doing? You too! Come along!"

"Ehh? Me too? But I don't really mind either way..."

Kazuki quickly jumped in,

"Then let's have Houki go with Ichika first! Then we can do whatever afterwards."

Rin glared at him incredulously,

"Hah?! Why?!"

The blond sweatdropped, trying to find a valid reason,

"I-It's because… you know… umm… Childhood frie... That's right! She's Ichika's first childhood friend!"

"What kind of stupid logic is that?!"

"Shut up! It just works like that because I said so!"

A tick mark appeared on Rin's forehead,

"Why you…"

"Ah! Ouch! You little… Don't pull on my nose! You're gonna rip it, you little midget!"

"Huh?! What was that?! Please pull on it harder?!"

Ichika and the rest of the girls sweatdropped at the antic.

However, Houki was absorbed in her thought,

 _'That's weird… Normally, he would say something tactless like, 'does it really matter?' or 'Just pair up with another girl.'... What's gotten to him all of a sudden?'_

With a bit of scratch marks and plasters on his face, Kazuki reconsidered,

"Alright, fine, how about this then. You and Houki play and whoever wins gets to pair with Ichika. The loser pairs with me. The European trio will sort it out on their own. Are we good?"

"Aren't you still going to ask them if they want to pair up with Ichika?"

Kazuki sighed lazily, but turned to said trio,

"Ughh… Any of you here want to pair up with Ich-"

But he was hit by an unnatural amount ki from the three girls as they faced each other with the most determined expressions on their face .

 _'I have to win! I can't let the others have their way!'_

 _'I will pair up with Kazuki-san! No matter the cost!'_

 _'Watch over me, Clarissa! As I will now enter the battlefield!'_

Slightly intimidated by the sheer force, Kazuki took a step back with a shade of purple,

"O-Okay… You guys sort things out on your own…"

 _'What in the world is this amount of force?! This is just a normal rock-paper-scissors! It's not a death game!'_

Meanwhile, Rin and Houki were preparing to play,

"You ready, Houki?"

"Y-Yeah. Whenever you're ready."

They reeled their hands back and chanted in unison,

"Rock-paper…"

Kazuki watched the exchange earnestly,

 _'Win, win, win! Houki, win!'_

"Scissors!"

Houki had scissors, and Rin had a rock. Rin's victory.

"Yes! I won!"

But Houki just stared at her hand with a neutral look.

 _'I lost.'_

She turned slightly and stole a glimpse of Kazuki who was on the floor in distraught.

"Okay, then, Ichika! Let's-"

"Not so fast, young lady!"

Suddenly, Kazuki jumped up in exclamation.

Rin sighed in annoyance,

"What is it now?"

…

"Best of 3?"

 **Smack**

Ichika and Rin walked off, leaving Kazuki with a steaming lump on his head.

Houki walked over to Kazuki shyly,

"If you don't want to… I can pair up with however loses from over there."

She pointed at the Euro-trio, who were still at it with the rock-paper-scissors.

Kazuki sighed, but then proceeded with a defeated grin,

"Well, it is what it is. You lost fair and square. So you're going to have to pair up with me as a punishment."

Houki's eyes widened in realisation,

 _'Oh! That's right! This is just a punishment! No more than that!'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The gang made their way to the top of the slide; it was a pretty long trek considering that it was a water slide. After hearing the instructions, Ichika and Rin made their way down the slide, and the sound of their screaming ensued.

It was Kazuki and Houki next. The pretty operator began to explain the procedures once again,

"Now then, I will begin explaining the pair-slide. First-"

"Umm, it's alright, we heard you explain a couple seconds ago. We'll manage." Kazuki interrupted. He didn't think another explanation was necessary.

"I-Is that so…? I understand..." The operator pouted sadly.

Houki quickly bonked him on the head and gave the operator a smile,

"I-I didn't hear the instructions, so please explain once more!"

The expression on the operator brightened once again.

The blond leaned into Houki slightly and whispered,

"Oi… You heard the instructions, what's the point in listening to it again?"

She lightly elbowed his stomach and scolded,

"That was so rude of you! It's called manners! Didn't you ever learn it?!"

"Manners? Wasting time keeping up the queue is bad manners, if that's how you want to argue…"

Houki bonked him on the head again,

"No talking back!"

"Yeah, yeah." he drawled.

The operator coughed.

"Ah, yes, please continue!" Houki forced a smile again.

"Very well! First, the boy sits here." she motioned Kazuki to the seat of the slide.

He sat down and felt the coldness of the water soak his swim trunks,

"Uwah! Cold!"

She continued,

"Then the girl sits between his legs."

"O-Okay…"

Houki carefully sat in front of Kazuki like she was told.

"Like t-this?"

"Good! Then the boy holds the girl tightly from behind, like this!"

The operator brought her arms to her chest and did a demonstration of a tight embrace.

For a second, Kazuki hesitated. He brought his metallic hands up and stared at them for awhile.

"K-Kazuki?"

"Y-Yeah, sorry. Can I?"

"You fool. You don't have to ask for permission."

Kazuki carefully placed his metal hands onto her hips and was surprised to suddenly illicit a yelp from the girl.

He instantly retracted his hands from her hips.

Houki blushed madly but tried to collect herself,

"D-Don't worry… I was just a little surprised… Your hands are really cold…"

Then she realised she said something she shouldn't have,

"Sorry. That was inconsiderate of me."

The atmosphere grew heavy with Houki looking a little depressed. Kazuki scratched the back of his head ponderously, then seemingly came to a resolution,

"Gosh… You're such an awkward person; it's making me suffocate."

Kazuki brought his arms over Houki's stomach and with his other hand, held onto his own arm.

The poor girl tensed up from the sudden increase in contact,

"W-Wait, Kazuki-"

The operator seemed satisfied,

"Very good! Please don't let go or it's dangerous! Have a fun ride!"

She lightly nudged Kazuki's back forward, and off they went.

Although his arms were below her chest, she could feel them hit the top of Kazuki's arms each time they did a turn.

 _'This is bad! This is so very bad!'_

However, the clueless blond was having a time of his life, laughing away like a maniac,

"Hahahaha! This is great! Hahahahahaha!"

 **Splash**

Finally, the two reached the end of the slide with a large splash.

Kazuki resurfaced and pushed his hair up with a large smile on his face,

"Yah~ that was fun. I'm almost tempted to ride it again."

Houki faced slightly away to hide her chest, but observed him quietly for a second,

 _'I didn't think he could ever smile like that… He's like a kid at an amusement park.'_

She grinned thinking that she had found a rare trait of cuteness from a person like Kazuki.

The blond saw the way Houki was covering her chest, and colours drained from his body.

 _'N-No way… Did I somehow accidently…?'_

"Umm… Houki… Did I…?"

Houki quickly shook her head with a blush,

"Nono, I'm just feeling a bit chilly! It's nothing like that!"

"Okay… Thank goodness…"

The European Trio was just sat on a nearby bench with Ichika and Rin, waiting impatiently. When they saw Kazuki and Houki reach the end of the slide, they shouted out,

"Kazuki! Hurry up! You still got us left!"

"Do I really have to go up that flight of stairs three more times?" he tried to protest.

He didn't even need any response from them at all. They simply glared at him and nodded furiously.

"This is going to be a long day…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The day was already coming to an end as the sun fell below the horizon and the sky was painted a tinge of orange and purple.

Kazuki and Ichika was standing near the entrance of the street festival, waiting for the girls to arrive. There were many others with pretty, colourful, patterned yukatas walking around.

Kazuki was in his rented turquoise yukata much like the colour of his eyes. It was plain and patternless. Ichika's was a plain black yukata; same patternless piece of cloth.

The blond fanned himself with a small handheld fan,

"But man… it's only spring and it's already this hot!"

"It's probably your yukata. It always gets too warm when you wear it."

"I don't understand why girls are into these kind of things… Their yukatas are much more complicated aren't they?"

Ichika furrowed his brows,

"Yeah, but it's apparently worth the effort. Just about anyone can look good in yukatas."

"But speaking of which, these were expensive to rent! 3200 yen **(A/N: 32$)** for the cheapest one!"

"Despite how you look, you're a lot more stingy than I thought." Ichika laughed.

"I'm fine with stingy. I'm not exactly loaded with money here…" Kazuki complained with a pout.

 _'Damn that Tabaco… 50 000 yen_ **(A/N: 500$)** _is just not enough for a year! I'm gonna have to ask for a little more next time I see her.'_

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting!"

After finishing their preparations, the girls finally arrived with their uniquely designed yukatas.

"Oh! See? Yukatas really are nice piece of our culture…" Ichika said in awe.

The girls anticipated a complement from Kazuki about their yukatas, but he simply turned around and muttered,

"...still not worth more than 3200 yen…"

Everyone sweatdropped as he began walking away.

He turned around midway, wondering why everyone was dawdling around the entrance,

"What are you guys doing? Let's go already."

"What a stingy scrooge…" Houki sighed, slapping herself on her forehead.

"He's like my mom…" Rin chided.

Cecilia shook her head incredulously,

"Tactless as always, Kazuki-san…"

"A failure as a wife!" Laura added.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The group came across one of the most classic festival stand; the fish scooping stand. Charlotte stared into the pool with a bright smile of curiosity,

"Woah! They're so pretty! What are these?"

"Is this your first time seeing this?" Houki asked.

"It's called goldfish-scooping." Ichika pointed out kindly.

Rin had already grabbed a scoop and a small bowl,

"You use this to scoop the goldfish. It's not easy though, these scoops are made with a thin sheet of paper."

"Thin sheet of paper? Is this even made to win?" Kazuki had his doubts, his stinge-senses tingling.

"Looks fun though! Ichika, show me how to do it." Charlotte was ready to learn how to scoop these fishes.

"Me too!" Cecilia also seemed fascinated by it.

"Okay, okay, no need to rush."

Ichika dipped his paper into the small pool and went for one of the fishes.

"So you just do this and…"

But before he could even lift the scoop out of the water, the sheet of paper bursted, letting the fish escape.

…

"Well, if this happens, it's game over..." Ichika transitioned smoothly.

"Okay, I get it now!"

Kazuki only watched Cecilia and Charlotte try their best to catch a fish, but to no avail.

"Man… this has to be rigged… Let's move onto the next-"

"Oh, I heard the reward for catching each fish is twice the amount you paid to play…" Laura mentioned.

Cecilia and Charlotte finally gave up,

"Ahkk! This is too hard! Forget the reward, I can't even take the fish out of the water."

"There must be some sort of a technique…"

Ichika grinned slightly in pity,

"Okay then, let's move onto the-"

Suddenly, Kazuki rolled up his sleeves with the most serious expression on his face,

"I, Satoshi Kazuki, shall now enter the battlefield."

The girls sweatdropped,

"What's that idiot doing?" Rin deadpanned incredulously.

Charlotte giggled,

"When Laura mentioned the reward, his attitude suddenly changed…"

"So he's just in it for the money…?" Houki gaped at him dumbly.

Ichika scratched the back of his head with a grin,

"Well, that's very Kazuki thing to do…"

However, to Kazuki, words didn't enter through his ears. He was purely concentrating on the fishes inside the pond, his hand firmly holding onto the scoop.

Still, Ichika and the girls were curious as to how he would do. All they saw was Kazuki keeping his eyes closed and focusing.

He suddenly opened his eyes and his arm flashed across the surface of the water,

"Ora!"

When the gang overcame the initial shock, they noticed the fish casually flopping on the bowl in Kazuki's off hand. What was more surprising was that the scoop was still intact.

"Ohh! You did it, Kazuki!" Laura couldn't help but let out a gasp of amazement.

The others all sweatdropped,

"H-He actually got one…"

"What's with the 'Ora'...?"

"It's very lame indeed…"

However Kazuki wasn't finished yet, his arms flashed multiple times across the pond surface, and to everyone's shock, the fish rained down onto his bowl one-by-one.

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!" Kazuki's facial expression slowly began resembling a character from a certain someone's bizarre adventure.

When Ichika realised what TV show it was from, his face contorted into despair and snot ran down his nose.

Houki noticed the pale look in Ichika's face and probed,

"Ichika? You're face is not looking well."

"Oi! You can't just copy battle cries like that! Do you want to get us a copyright strike?!" Ichika yelled comically.

Kazuki paused and turned around casually,

"Huh? Since when did you start doing the retorts?"

He returned to scooping his fishes with a confident grin,

"Besides, it's not like I have a Stand catching these fishes. They can't take us down with just that."

Charlotte blinked obliviously,

"Cecilia, do you know what they're talking about?"

The English girl shook her head with the same look on her face,

"No. Not a clue, I'm afraid."

Meanwhile, the person running the activity was on his knees, begging Kazuki to stop playing, but obviously, he didn't care.

"Hah! As if I'm going to stop! This is better than getting a job!" he smirked in his thrill of earning a large sum of money.

"Kazuki…"

Kazuki had momentarily forgotten that his friends were also here,

"Oh, you guys… I guess there's no helping it. You guys go ahead. When you're ready to go home, come find me, I'll be her-"

 **Smack**

"Gosh. He's so hopeless by himself."

"We can't leave him by himself, can we?"

"Thank you! Thank you so very much!" the person bowed several times to Houki who dragged the unconscious blond boy off to the next stand.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

With pouches filled with money Kazuki earned from the first stand, the gang went around the street, dropping in and out of different kinds of stands; a takoyaki stand, cotton candy stand, and shaved ice stands.

"D-Devil fish is a bit…"

"You can eat octopus…?"

Charlotte and Cecilia seemed to be having trouble trying the takoyaki.

"This is traditional Japanese food! You have to at least try it!"

"Tasty isn't it, Laura?"

"Mmm… This is pretty good."

...

"So is this what you call cotton candy? I've never tried it before…"

"Delicious!"

Charlotte grinned,

"Now it's my turn to say 'ahn' to you, Houki."

"W-What?"

...

Laura's eyes widened in surprise at how good the shaved ice with syrup was,

"Ohh! This is a whole new meaning of deliciousness!"

"Kazuki-san, ahn~"

"Hey, you there!"

"Eat from your own cup! You all have your own helpings! But thanks." Kazuki retorted, but regardless, he accepted it gratefully.

"You really are stingy."

"Hah?!"

Kazuki noticed Houki just standing around doing nothing again. So he encouraged her to do the same to Ichika,

"Houki, c'mon. You too!"

"O-Oh… I see…"

She held out her spoon at the blond shyly,

"H-Here, a-ahn…"

"Not me, you ditz!" Kazuki facepalmed.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Ichika patted his full, bulging stomach,

"Man… I'm so full…"

"But those food were so exquisite!" Cecilia admitted with a blissful smile.

"Yeah! I've never tried any of those before!" Charlotte agreed.

Laura rubbed her chin analytically, remembering what Clarissa had told her,

"So, first, the goldfish scooping, then the food stands… What's left now is... cork shooting!"

Kazuki nudged her slightly,

"You keep mentioning this Clarissa, Clarissa, but she seems to know a lot about the textbook clichè events…"

Laura smirked,

"Hmph. I was right to hire her. She is undeniably an irreplaceable comrade."

 _'Yeah, probably a one-of-a-kind, I'm sure.'_ Kazuki decided to keep his thoughts to himself.

The gang was now stood in front of a fairly grand cork shooting stand with many stuffed dolls and boxes of goodies laid out on the trays in front of them.

Cecilia smirked confidently,

"Sharpshooting is my specialty!"

"That's a toy gun, though…" Ichika had his doubts, but he took his thought back when Cecilia managed to knock down a stuffed penguin with relative ease.

"Oh! Nevermind! I expect no less from you."

Charlotte and Rin were also getting revved up,

"I might actually be good at this."

"I've actually done some marksmanship training in the military too."

Like Cecilia, both managed to knock down a small doll easily.

Of course, Houki couldn't help but feel helpless and put down by the girls' skill in marksmanship; since she was a close-combatant.

Ichika saw the slight downed look on Houki's face,

"Houki."

"What is it?"

"Have you gotten better at shooting?"

It didn't feel great for Houki, being reminded that shooting was her major lacking point,

"What about you?" she returned the question challengingly.

Ichika slightly turned away with a nervous sweatdrop,

"I'm a close combat fighter, so..."

"So am I."

Ichika chuckled at that,

"So I guess it's fine to suck at shooting then? I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"I can't disagree… That's true." Houki grinned, feeling slightly better.

Ichika turned to Kazuki, who was just watching from the back,

"How about you Kazuki? Are you any good at shooting?"

Kazuki furrowed his brow,

"Me? Shooting? Those two words don't belong in the same sentence when it comes to me."

That slightly surprised Houki,

"Really? You can't shoot?"

He rubbed the back of his head lazily,

"Sure I've done some shooting when I had Lyka, but my primary weapon was my claws. So I'm also a close combatant. Plus, I've never touched a rifle before in my life."

"If you'd like, I am more than happy to show you how to shoot whenever you want, Kazuki-san!" Cecilia seemed to have heard the conversation.

"But that's a bit of surprise. When it came to fighting, I thought you could pretty much do anything…" Houki admitted.

Kazuki chuckled,

"Don't be silly, that would make me some kind of an overpowered Gary Stu."

Meanwhile, Laura was thinking about the big picture as she stared down a 4 foot tall Maneki-neko as if it was her eternal enemy.

"Damn it! It's not falling over!"

The cat figure was letting out an ominous force, quietly whispering to Laura that it was not going to fall over.

"Oh… that one might be a bit too hard." Ichika said.

"No. I must defeat it no matter what!"

She shot, hitting the figure directly on its forehead, but it didn't budge.

Laura grunted in frustration,

"You little… Lowly figure!"

"Belittling the inanimate object's not going to do you any good…" Kazuki pointed out with a sweatdrop.

"Dumme katze."

"Speaking German's not going to change anything either!"

Laura pouted, blowing her cheeks out like a cute pufferfish.

"We'll cover you, Laura." Charlotte offered to provide support. And so did the others.

"There's no helping it then."

"Well, only this once."

Houki also decided to jump into the fray,

"Then I'll also participate."

The girls all lined up and loaded their rifles up.

"Form up! All together, aim! Fire!"

They all fired consecutively, hitting the figure all over the place. With the final hit, the Maneki-neko toppled over.

"Yay! We did it!"

Laura held onto her prize with the happiest smile, and the girls smiled along with her for the accomplishment.

"Alright, you guys done? Let's move onto firewo-"

Kazuki, again, was eager to move along, but something in the corner of his eyes flashed, catching his attention like a pro baseball catcher. Behind the row filled with stuffed dolls and other goodies, there was a single column at the far back with something golden on it.

"Oi, what's that at the back?" Kazuki pointed.

"At the back?"

Houki noticed what Kazuki was pointing at,

"Oh the grand prize… He's talking about the small golden bag behind all the other prizes."

"Grand prize?" Rin looked at her curiously.

Charlotte looked through the catalogue and found the details of the grand prize,

"Let's see here… It's the Super duper ultra grand supreme earl grey cultivated all the way from Macedonia…"

Cecilia sweatdropped,

"What a weird name for a rather normal type of tea…"

"It's obvious that it's a fake. They have to have some kind of a fake grand prize to earn some revenue." Rin pointed out lazily, losing her interest immediately.

Ichika turned to Kazuki,

"So yeah, Kazuki. Let's move onto-"

But the blond was too busy basking in his own flame of determination.

"I have to get that."

"E-Eh? Kazuki?"

Kazuki swiped an unloaded rifle and slammed his hand against the table,

"Oi, Ossan! Give me a cork!"

Ichika insisted,

"Kazuki, it's just a single tea bag. What's so important about a bag of tea?"

Kazuki's hands began shaking, remembering something that he didn't want to.

"You don't understand, Ichika... Do you have any idea how much damage my wallet sustained when I bought that supreme earl grey tea?!"

"Oh that box of tea you bought for Houki's birthday?"

Kazuki suddenly turned around with blood trickling down his eyes comically,

"It was god damned 7000 yen! 7000 YENNNN!"

Ichika and the girls sweatdropped.

"O-Okay, okay! We'll wait for you, so don't freak out!"

"But didn't you say you're not very good at sharpshooting, Kazuki-san?" Cecilia reminded.

Charlotte also noticed the object blocking the line of sight,

"There's also a mug in front that you need to take down first; plus that tea bag is tiny!"

"How are you even going to manage to hit anything?" Rin added.

"Hmph, you're all too naive." The girls saw him make a decisive smirk, and they didn't have a good feeling about it.

He turned around with a thumb up,

"I'll see you guys in school after the weekends."

"It's Friday today! You're gonna stay here to shoot corks for 2 days?!" Ichika retorted comically.

"Just imagine… how much I can sell that for…" By this point, Kazuki's eyes were replaced by the symbol of money.

Houki placed her hand on Ichika's shoulder heavily,

"Ichika… That is what happens when one loses to the greed of money and fortune… Take this as a learning opportunity."

"Well said…" Laura nodded in mock pity.

Once again, Kazuki gathered his focus and stared down at the grand prize. His eyes changed from blue to gold, and his sclera turned pitch black.

But something felt odd.

 _'But that's strange… It feels so comfortable to be holding a rifle… even though I've never held one before…'_

He took his stance, and to Cecilia's surprise, it wasn't the stance of an amateur marksman. He was calm, confident and in perfect harmony with his rifle. He looked like he was more comfortable with it than she was.

Kazuki couldn't shake the peculiar feeling off his mind,

 _'This grip… this stance… it feels so natural…'_

Ichika let out an impressed grin,

"Your stance looks pretty good, Kazuki. Is this really your first time?"

The blond shrugged,

 _'Oh well…'_

He took a second, then fired, and the cork flew in slow motion. The cork shot in a straight path, and was heading towards the mug.

"Oh, at least he's going to hit the mug." Rin assured. But how wrong could she have been.

The cork flew through the handle of the mug, undisturbed from its trajectory. Then it hit the small golden pouch dead in the center, knocking it over.

Ichika and the girls all gaped in shock. Even the person in charge of the stand just stared at the empty column with a dumb look on his face.

Kazuki's eyes were left wide open; he couldn't believe he actually hit it.

 _'A fluke? No… there's no way. I was somehow sure that I was going to hit it… Was it because of Odin's eyes?'_

There was silence from the gang, and Kazuki finally turned around with a depressed expression,

"S-Sorry guys… Looks like I am a Gary Stu after all…"

"What is with that reaction?! Read the mood here!" Ichika retorted comically.

Suddenly, Cecilia exploded in admiration,

"Wow! I expect no less from Kazuki-san! That was just incredible! Even I wouldn't have been able to hit that!"

"Mm… I was right to choose you as my wife…" Laura nodded approvingly with a blush.

Houki sweatdropped nervously,

"J-Just where did you learn to shoot like that?"

The blond was too absorbed in thought; he stared into his non-humaine hands,

 _'Is this another effect of the Apeiron Project? To make me into a powerful human weapon?'_

Kazuki grunted and dragged his hand down his face,

 _'There's still so much things I don't get…'_

Charlotte saw the confused look in the blond's face and peered,

"Are you okay, Kazuki? You seem just as surprised as we are."

"Well, yeah, I've never used a rifle before, and yet I was able to shoot that grand prize down. I'd be surprised." He admitted.

Rin waved her hands lazily,

"You're probably one of those naturally-talented people who can pretty much be good at anything. Don't worry too much about it!"

Kazuki let the words sinks in,

 _'Maybe she's right… I'm probably overthinking this.'_

"..."

He then turned around with an embarrassed blush, rubbing the back of his head shyly,

"Hahaha! Maybe I am just naturally talented!"

Ichika and Houki sweatdropped,

 _'He actually said it himself…'_

Kazuki snatched the golden pouch out of the crying man's hand with a large smile,

"Hehehe, I'll be rich with this! Anyway, fireworks is it? Let's get going!"

"Yeah!" the gang cheered.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was now in the midst of the night; with the moon and the stars out. Ichika and the gang were in the middle of a bamboo forest, isolated from the large group of tourists, and locals.

Each of them had their own sparklers in their hands and watched as the spark slowly consume the length of the stick.

"They're so pretty aren't they…"

"Truly, a piece of art…"

"We're not allowed fireworks in our country, so this is my first time doing this too…"

"I feel like a juvenile doing this…"

While Ichika and the girls were appreciating the beauty of the sparklers, Kazuki yawned.

"You call this firework? It's just fire on a stick."

Houki slightly glared at him for his thoughtlessness and scolded,

"Why don't show some more enthusiasm! It's fine as long as we're enjoying, right?"

She turned to smile at the others who all also smiled blissfully.

The blond waved his index finger side-to-side,

"Tsk tsk tsk… allow me to show you what a REAL firework is."

Then like a certain blue cat from another anime, he produced a whole bunch of complicated looking fireworks from his pouch.

"Uwah! Where did you get all those stuff?! Those are illegal here too! Especially in the middle of the bamboo forest!" Ichika pointed out anxiously.

"Relax, as long as we always aim upwards, it shouldn't hit any of the trees."

Kazuki rummaged through the piles of fireworks and pulled out a dozen mini launchers. He laid them on the ground next to each other and took out a lighter.

"Are you really sure it's safe, Kazuki?" Charlotte said shakily, hiding behind Houki.

"I guarantee that it's safe. Trust me. Now check this out." He lit up each of the launchers, and there were several small bangs, startling Ichika and the girls.

But their feelings of anxiety disappeared as soon as they saw the explosions of color lighting up the night sky. A mixture of all the colors painted the sky, leaving sparks afterwards just as the fireworks disappeared.

"Woah!"

"How colorful!"

"W-What an amazing sight…"

Kazuki saw the amazed looks on their faces and felt satisfied.

Laura then noticed another launcher, but only this one was larger than the rest. It was labelled 'Mega' to emphasize its largeness.

"Hey, Kazuki, what's this one here? It's not doing anything."

Kazuki turned to the platinum haired girl only to see her pointing the launcher at him cluelessly. He could see the ember still burning away the ignition string.

Snot ran down his nose and his face turned purple,

"O-Oi! Don't point that thing at me! P-Put it down! It's gonna blow!"

"Huh?"

But thankfully for Kazuki, Houki and Ichika quickly slapped the launcher out of her hands and pulled her back. Miraculously, the launcher landed on its base and fired up to the sky, but slightly at an angle.

It wasn't just a single shot launcher, but it fired out multiple shots up into the air. The gang stared up into the sky thoughtlessly and allowed the array of colors to appeal to their eyes once more.

After a few minutes, the launcher ceased, smoke slowly coming out of the opening.

"Pffft!"

Much to Kazuki's confusion, the whole group exploded into a laughter.

"Ahahahaha!"

"W-Wait, what are you all laughing about?"

Charlotte pointed her shaky fingers at the blond with tears in her eyes,

"D-D-Did you -snort- see the look on his face when Laura had the mega launcher?"

Ichika tried to hide his laughter, but was failing miserably to do so,

"Man… it was priceless… I almost wish we had a camera to take a picture."

Rin held her stomach from the excessive laughter,

"Ahahahaa! Ou, my stomach hurts so much from laughing!"

Houki and Laura also giggled uncontrollably, much to Kazuki's annoyance.

"Oi, oi! That was no laughing matter! I could have died!"

But the laughters continued, and in the end, Kazuki's expression softened.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was now late, perhaps close to midnight.

"Ah… man… that was fun…" Ichika grinned in satisfaction.

"Yeah… But we should head back to the dorm… It's pretty late." Charlotte suggested.

"Orimura-sensei might be looking for us… so that's a good idea…" Cecilia added.

"Then, let us head back." Laura commanded cheekily and her entourage laughed.

Houki noticed that Kazuki wasn't following them,

"Hey, wait guys… Kazuki? Aren't you coming?"

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to be crashing at a friend's place. Plus, I can't leave all these used up fireworks here."

The gang noticed the mess that they had left behind.

"Oh, we should help, here, let me get that." the Charlotte and the gang offered, but Kazuki urged them on.

"It's fine. I got it. You guys have a curfew to keep. You know how scary that teacher is. So you guys hurry on back."

"But… we can't make you clean this by yourself…" Rin said guiltily.

Kazuki waved his hand lazily,

"I told you it's fine! One of you guys can treat me to a bowl of Ramen for lunch at the school cafeteria or something."

Laura grinned, albeit hesitantly,

"Okay then, we'll leave it to you then… Be careful on your way back."

"Yeah, you guys too."

With that, the gang left the scene, leaving Kazuki by himself. He grabbed an empty plastic bag and began collecting the leftover sparklers and launchers.

While cleaning up the place, Kazuki couldn't help but grin to himself,

"Today sure was fun… Even though it was a setup… I better thank her for it…"

"By 'her' do you mean my sister?"

Kazuki snapped out of his thought and jerked towards the voice in surprise. It was Houki. She had come back with a rather serious look on her face.

"Houki? What are you doing here? Did you forget something?"

There was something about her eyes that made Kazuki slightly nervous. Her eyes were similar to how they were during the summer excursion. Doubt, and anxiety.

"You're going to be staying at my sister's place, aren't you?" she asked.

At this point, Kazuki didn't feel the need to lie. Houki already knew how he was acquainted to Tabane.

"Yeah, I had something to ask her about my new core."

"Your new core?"

"The errand I had to run this afternoon was to go get my burnt out core replaced with a new one."

Now Houki understood why he declined Ichika's offer to go on this trip.

"Oh, I see… So you weren't lying... Does that mean you're all… 'fixed?' "

"Unfortunately not. I have to visit her every month for a check up on my core."

Houki nodded, but he wasn't sure if she really understood the situation.

"More importantly, shouldn't you get back to the dorm? That demon teacher won't be very happy if you turn up late."

Houki shifted awkwardly in her spot, and Kazuki had already guessed what she was going to say.

"Well… I was maybe thinking of visiting my sister, and since you know the way, I thought I might come along with you…"

Kazuki sighed, but grinned in defeat,

"I see… Alright. I'm done cleaning, so let's get going then."

But he stopped when Houki grabbed the sleeve of Kazuki's yukata.

"Houki?"

He saw the dark blush on her face and immediately, he felt something heavy fall in his stomach.

 _'Stop.'_

"Also… Kazuki… I have something important to tell you…"

When Houki let go, Kazuki turned around to face her directly.

 _'Don't say it.'_

She seemed to be having trouble forming the sentence, and for the next few seconds, there was an awkward silence. But Kazuki patiently waited for her to gather herself.

Houki breathed out and then finally,

"Kazuki. I l-like you… Not only as a friend... but also as a person of the opposite gender…"


	23. IS S2 Chapter 3

**(Edit1) I forgot to mention something important: the reason why my fanfiction can't and isn't considered a crossover is because I am simply using the appearance of character's from different animes. Their personalities, character is not imported into this fanfiction. Thought I'd clarify that.**

 **(Edit2) Oh and merry christmas, by the way.**

 **A/N: Hello again, dear readers. Now that my exams are over, I can go back to updating my story once again (yay!). Thank you for your patience as always.**

 **Some of the fellow students reading this may have exams after the winter break like most, and I wish you all the best of luck.**

 **I haven't thanked you for all the kind and encouraging review/comment thus far, so I must thank you all for enjoying the fanfiction; as a writer, I cannot ask for more than that.**

 **Just kidding, I'm not that kind of a guy; If you can leave me quick reviews (or long ones), you would be making a young man happy. Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to.**

 **It is 3:00 am in the morning and I am still hungover from yesterday. Nuff said.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

 **(These horizontal lines don't work properly, and it is annoying me to no end)**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 3**

"Kazuki. I l-like you… Not only as a friend... but also as a person of the opposite gender…"

There the blond stood, unable to find the right words for a few seconds. Though it maybe a few seconds, hundreds of thoughts raced through Kazuki's mind.

"I-In other words… I l-like you more than just a close friend…" Houki clarified.

' _I knew this was coming at some point… But even though I knew, I didn't do anything about it. And because of it, Houki ended up getting hurt like last time.'_

The blond looked at the girl straight in the eyes,

' _I need to make things right. For Houki.'_

"You asked me, back then, if I had fallen in love with Tabane..." He began.

Houki saw his front hair overshadow his eyes, and a smile of defeat adorned his face,

"I'd hate to admit it, but you were right… I did fall in love with your sister."

Houki could see the kind, and warm expression on his face,

"It's funny isn't it… To fall for an idiot like her. I never thought I would, really. A gluttonous, annoying, airhead like her."

"Since… since when did you start having those feelings?" Houki's voice shook; in all honesty, she didn't want to know. She was scared.

"It would be before I entered the academy…" Kazuki let out a thoughtful grin, getting absorbed into nostalgia.

But Houki obviously didn't take these words very well; it was clear from her expression, threatening to burst into tears.

He felt bad for the girl, but it had to be said,

"I'm sorry. I should have told you this sooner… I can't let myself drag your feelings around anymore. But now, you're free to-"

"Let yourself drag my feelings around?" Houki's sudden interruption caught the blond off guard, and he saw her quickly wipe her tears away.

"Don't screw around with me! My reason to like you isn't as shallow as you're probably thinking!"

The blond's eyes widened in surprise; he couldn't find the right words to respond.

"For all these months, you risked your life countless times to protect me and the others. Yeah sure, you did that because Nee-san told you to, but…"

Houki recalled to Kazuki's warm smiles as he burrowed her notes. His smiles as he hid the injuries from protecting her. His smiles as blood trickled down his face. His smiles as he always bottled up the sadness inside him for their sake. His metal limbs, his scars, and his tears...

Her voice fell low, accompanied by a wistful grin,

"If you smile so warmly like that all the time, what else am I supposed to do but to feel this way?"

"..." Again, Kazuki found himself in silence, eliciting Houki to continue.

"Can I ask why you would go to such length for my sister?"

He took his moment to think back to his fateful encounter with Shinonono Tabane.

He began,

"I'm not sure if I told you this already, but Tabane saved my life, a complete stranger, and took care of me like her own family."

Kazuki clenched his metal hand into a fist in determination,

"I had no purpose or the desire to live; but Tabane gave me hope and a reason to continue existing by sending me to the academy to look after you. My life isn't worth anything to pay her back for all the things she's done for me..."

She looked straight into Kazuki's eyes with the most earnest look he had seen. Houki could see the firm resolve within him, and was slightly relieved.

She finally sighed,

"Nee-san's lucky… to have someone so loyal and loving beside her…"

Houki hung her head down to hide her sorrowful eyes with the front of hair,

"First, she separates me and Ichika, robs me of my normal life, and now you… just how much more does she have to take away from me until she's satisfied?"

"Houki-"

She suddenly looked up with newfound determination, much to the blond's surprise.

"I don't approve of it. I don't care what you say. I'm not going to let Nee-san have her way with things again!"

With that, Houki walked off, her arms crossed.

Kazuki just stood there by himself with a perplexed look in his face.

"...w-what just happened…?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **Ring Ring**

A ringing of the chime; Chloe directed her attention at the camera screen and saw two familiar people. She sighed in exasperation and pressed a button on the wall, letting the two people in.

"Who is it, Ku-chan?"

"It's the primal beast, Tabane-sama. He has a guest."

The genius idol jumped in excitement at the first notice of a blond hair on the screen.

"Oh! It's Kazu-chan and Houki-chan! I'm coming~"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Now listen, don't you dare think about doing anything weird to Nee-san."

"Weird? What makes you think I'll do such a thing?"

"Isn't that obvious? There's no way a pervert like you can behave while staying under the same roof as a girl!"

"A pervert? My, my, you're too kind."

Houki bonked the blond on the head,

"That wasn't a compliment!"

Kazuki drawled,

"Don't worry, I'm strictly here for business regarding my core. Plus, with the slit-eyed guard dog around, I can't do anything to her even if I wanted to."

"Well, I'm sorry for being a 'slit-eyed guard dog'."

Kazuki's expression fell as he recognized the monotonous voice.

The front gate opened, followed by an annoyed Chloe and a blissful Tabane.

"Nee-san!" Houki seemed surprised to see Tabane outside to greet them personally.

The blond was also surprised to see Tabane out,

"It's unusual for yo-"

"Houki-chan!"

Tabane ran to her little sister and crushed her in a bear hug.

"What's Houki-chan doing here with Kazu-chan? Did Houki-chan miss Onee-chan that much?"

"D-Don't be stupid! I'm only here because it's long past the curfew at the academy!"

It didn't seem important to Tabane as she rubbed her cheeks against Houki's adoringly.

Kazuki could see the happiness radiate from her, and couldn't help but grin to himself a little.

Tabane released her from the bear hug and pulled on her arm in eager,

"Houki-chan, Houki-chan. I made this cool mechanical bunny suit the other day; it has so many functions! You have to come see it!"

"A-Ah, but…"

Houki quickly looked towards Kazuki in hesitation. He smiled and urged her on.

"Go ahead. I'll come get you in the morning."

"O-Okay, then…"

With that, the siblings hastily left the scene. It was Chloe and Kazuki left standing outside.

The silver-haired girl cocked an eyebrow,

"Didn't you have something to ask of Tabane-sama?"

"It's okay. I can do that tomorrow. Let those two catch up with things."

Chloe saw the warm smile on the blond's face as he watched the siblings leave the scene and sighed.

She lazily gestured towards one of the buildings,

"Well then, let's not waste any time… I am busy and don't have the luxury to keep the likes of you company."

"You know, this is my first time seeing her smile like that." Kazuki began, staring towards the direction of where the siblings went.

Chloe furrowed her brows in annoyance,

"First time? Tabane-sama always smiles."

Kazuki grinned wistfully,

"Not like that…"

He noticed the suspicious gaze coming from the short girl and so, he changed subjects,

"Anyway. Shall we head inside then? It's getting pretty chilly out. I need to ask you something too-"

 **Growl**

An awkward stomach growl broke the flow of the conversation.

"Um… Ms. Chronicle? Could that be…"

"It's just your imagination." she said instantly.

 **Growl**

"Ehm… but that came from your-"

"It's just your imagination."

The blond facepalmed in defeat,

"-sigh- it's already this late and you guys didn't have dinner yet?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki was back to the same kitchen he had used for over a year, cooking his signature dish. He made sure to keep the spicy ingredients out of Chloe's portion. He left Tabane's portion in the fridge wrapped in plastic wraps.

He set the hot plate of stir-fry rice in front of the silver-haired girl and took the seat just across from her.

Chloe began, slowly savouring the food,

"So, what is it that you wanted to ask?"

"Earlier today, I had this weird feeling when I held a rifle in my hands."

"A rifle?"

"You know, the toy rifles that shoot corks in festivals and stuff. Even though I don't have any experience in sharpshooting, I was able to shoot down the most difficult prize to hit in one try."

"Are you sure that wasn't just a fluke?"

Kazuki shook his head gravely,

"No… It felt too natural. The breathing, the stance, and the calmness…"

"Hm… Isn't that just because you're a Gary Stu?"

"That's not what I'm trying to get at!" he retorted.

"Then what are you suggesting? Spit it out already."

Kazuki took a second,

"I was wondering if this had anything to do with the Apeiron Project. Somehow program me to be able to handle firearms instantly as I touch them…"

She paused, her spoon held in midair,

"I see… the experiment you escaped from… Although it sounds impossibly fictional… that could be true..."

The blond then noticed something stuck to the corner of Chloe's mouth and reached out for it,

"Well, judging by your reaction, seems like you don't know anything about it."

It was a grain of rice. Kazuki simply threw it in his mouth.

For a second, Chloe blanked out. When she registered what it was, her whole face flushed red.

"It's just a grain of rice. Nothing to get all embarrassed for…"

But she was getting red for a much different reason.

' _I-I-Indirect k-k-kiss… and so easily that man just…'_

He only stared at her strangely,

' _What is she so worked up for?'_

"Anyway. I'm going to sleep then. Don't forget to tell Tabaco to get hers from the fridge."

"You scoundrel, calling Tabane-sama with that name again!"

Chloe scolded, but Kazuki had left the kitchen hastily.

' _That imbecile. I guess I will let him off for today…'_ she sighed in defeat, returning to her plate of stir fry with a grin.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki threw himself onto his futon and thought to himself deeply.

' _So far, everything seems to be in order… the silver gospel had been taken care of. I've got my core replaced… the government and the UN don't know I'm alive...'_

He rolled on to his side,

' _The only problem is the inevitability of them finding out. And…'_

His expression fell gravely,

' _I still don't know who it was that forced me to become a lab rat… The organization behind the Apeiron Project…'_

 _ **"Mom! Help me! I'm scared! Where are they taking me!?"**_

 _ **"Mom! Dad! Please! I'm sorry! I'll never act selfish again! I'll never play games and I'll be a good boy and listen to whatever you say! Please don't let them take me!"**_

He closed his eyes and tried to shove the bad memories away, though he couldn't help but feel the hatred burn within him.

' _There's no use feeling disappointed in them… My family is here… with me now… I would do anything to protect this...'_

It took about a half an hour until Kazuki fell asleep.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Alright, you have everything?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

The morning had come to greet Kazuki and Houki, and they were packing up, preparing to leave.

"What were you doing with Tabaco yesterday anyway? I didn't see you two at all last night. Did she have her dinner?"

For some reason, Houki seemed startled when Kazuki asked the question.

"N-Nothing you need to know…"

He sweatdropped,

"What's with that…?"

"..."

"Well?"

"Stop asking!"

He gave up. For whatever reason, she definitely wasn't going to tell him, so all he could do was respect it.

He then paused two feet behind Houki who was just about to reach for the gate.

"What? You forgot something?"

"Yeah, I actually forgot to ask your sister something really important."

"Like what?"

He turned around with a cheeky smirk,

"Like nothing you need to know~"

 **Bonk**

…

"I deserved that."

"Just hurry up, I'll wait for you here."

"Right, I won't be long."

Kazuki returned to the main building of the complex hastily.

He pushed the door open and saw Tabane and Chloe working.

The two girls noticed the blond and inquired curiously,

"Kazu-chan? Did you leave something behind?"

"No, but I forgot to ask you something really important."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I took some time last night to think… I need a personal IS."

"Another personal IS?" Chloe repeated in confusion. Why would he want another one, she thought.

"Kazu-chan?" Tabane's usual eye-smile disappeared, and she gazed directly at the blond with her magenta eyes.

"With the way I am right now, I won't be able to protect Houki or anyone else. So please, make me another IS core."

"That is not possible." Chloe interjected.

"Why?" it wasn't an answer Kazuki wanted.

The silver-haired girl crossed her arms and explained,

"It seems like you don't know anything about how the IS work, so let me explain. Your body; genetic makeup, and structure is compatible to only one IS at most. The reason why IS pilots don't own several IS unit is because the IS rejects a pilot who already owns another one. That is if you are like the other pilots. But that is the problem. Your life depends on the IS itself. If the new machine was to reject you…"

"...then your body will shut down and it will kill you." Tabane finished for her in a serious tone.

Kazuki didn't give up,

"It's not certain though, is it? There must be a small chance that I will be compatible with it."

"Well… if there was a chance, it would be extremely slim."

"Then-"

"No."

Kazuki turned to Tabane who had a stern look on her face, her arms crossed.

"What do you mean, no?" he complained.

"There's too much risk. I'm not going to take the chance of Kazu-chan dying… not ever again…"

It was desperation at this point for Kazuki.

"Okay, fine, then can you please make me a battlesuit or an exoskeleton of some sort. Anything!"

Tabane shook her head,

"Kazu-chan's body became much weaker after the silver gospel incident… Kazu-chan has to stop fighting or it's going to get worse."

Kazuki's frustration was approaching a limit,

"And what if Houki gets endangered because of me? You want me to just watch and hope that my health gets better?"

"No means no. I'm sorry Kazu-chan but, I can't make anything for you. You're going to put yourself in danger again if I do, won't you?"

"If I don't, who's going to protect Houki?"

Tabane's tone changed significantly and she frowned. She finally caught onto something.

"Houki. Houki. Houki. Houki. That's all I hear from you. You seem like you're prepared to die for her too."

The blond was flabbergasted by Tabane's quick change in attitude. She stared at him with such doubt and suspicion.

"What the hell are you saying all of a sudden?"

Chloe felt uncomfortable being in the middle of the fierce exchange between the two. It was not looking good.

"You know, Kazu-chan. Houki-chan talked about how she likes Kazu-chan more than just a friend yesterday."

Kazuki didn't like where the conversation was heading. Not one bit.

"What are you trying to say?" he challenged in a slightly passive-aggressive tone.

The genius scientist was at a loss for words.

"Well? Come on, say something!"

And so she did,

"Kazu-chan, I'm going to relieve you of your duty… You can stop protecting her now."

Kazuki's eyes widened. The words hit him harder than a racing truck; he couldn't accept what she meant.

"Relieve me of my… duty? Why can't you understand that I'm doing this for-"

"No! It's Kazu-chan who doesn't get it!"

For the first time in his life, Kazuki saw Tabane shout and tear up in such a way that he would never expect.

"Tabane-sama…" Chloe trailed off sadly.

"Tabane…" the blond's composure faltered under the girl's teary glare.

"Do you understand how horrible I feel whenever I hear or see you get nearly killed protecting Houki-chan? Do you understand how painful it is to know that you are the one forcing someone to live a life protecting another person?"

She paused,

"The invention of the IS brought nothing but tragedy for everyone. It just pains me to know that, somewhere in the world, people are dying using my invention or are using them to kill other people."

Tabane looked straight into Kazuki's eyes,

"I love you, Tom. I love you. But that's why it hurts me so much..."

Kazuki's eyes widened. There was a mixture of happiness and sorrow in his emotions, but he just didn't know how to feel.

Then it hit him like a hammer.

' _No… what I've been doing… It was never for Tabane; It was... for myself.'_

He clenched his fists tightly in anger,

' _I didn't protect Houki because I felt indebted or because I wanted to help Tabane… I was just afraid... of being abandoned again like I was by my parents..."_

His head hung down and felt a pang of guilt in his chest,

' _She had always felt responsible for the victims who perished under the influence of the IS. I... never tried to understand that...'_

He smiled wistfully,

' _And yet, here I am, demanding you to make me another IS… How selfish...'_

"But I know it's a one-sided thing and I understand I'm being a bother to you, so don't worry… I'll sort this feeling out on my own…" Tabane looked away to hide the depressed look on her face.

"Do you really mean that?" The blond almost raised his voice. He had to say something. Something.

Tabane slowly walked up to Kazuki and placed her hand on the metal plate on his left chest.

 **DNA Recognition Complete. Access Granted. Shinonono Tabane. Disabling Lock.**

"Please, Tom… Live life the way you want… You don't have to protect Houki anymore."

He didn't understand what it was. It felt like something had pierced him.

"You probably knew this from the start, but the Apeiron Project probably wouldn't have existed if it weren't for me inventing the IS..." Tabane added guiltily.

"Tabane, I… I…"

It wouldn't come out of his mouth. He just couldn't allow it. If he told her his true feelings, he knew Tabane would just end up feeling guiltier and he would also never be able to forgive himself.

' _I... don't deserve to walk by your side…'_

"...I can't disagree; things probably would have gone much more differently for me if the IS wasn't invented." he said wistfully.

' _... But I probably wouldn't have met anyone as wonderful as you are…'_

Tabane winced at that, but did her best to hold her tears in.

He continued,

"You were annoying, obnoxious and such a handful to take care of for a whole year."

' _Every second of every day we spent together… I can proudly cherish those moments…'_

"I also couldn't stand being around this messy place."

' _I feel most at home here...'_

Tabane's face lit up in surprise when Kazuki suddenly knelt on the ground; even Chloe couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"But, thank you… For everything you've done for me this past year… I'm sorry that this is all I could do..." he lowered his head to the floor.

"Tom…" Chloe trailed off.

' _Just what is this man thinking?'_

He stood up and turned for the exit, but just before leaving, he turned around with a reassuring look,

"Tabane. I want you to know that whatever happens; even if the world turns against you; even if your feeling towards me turn into hatred, I will always be your ally. No matter what."

With a final look at Tabane, he left the scene.

"T-Tabane-sama, are you really going to let him leave?" Chloe tried to convince the scientist.

"..."

Chloe clearly saw Tabane holding herself back; she didn't want this; no one wanted this to happen. But perhaps this was the tragic fate of the cyborg and his genius creator.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

' _What's taking that fool so long?'_

Houki impatiently tapped her finger against her arm and her foot against the floor a few times.

Then the gate behind her opened and out came Kazuki,

"It's about time you-"

But then she noticed the extremely gloomy expression on Kazuki's pale face.

"K-Kazuki? What's wrong?"

Kazuki looked at her worrying face.

" _ **You can stop protecting her now."**_

He tried to smile,

"C'mon, let's get going before we miss the train."

Kazuki took the lead and Houki just wordlessly followed, but she knew something was wrong.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The train was supposed to be a solid 4 hour journey. The trip on our way to my sister's place at first went by pretty quickly; Kazuki would accompany me for a card game I used to play with Nee-san and often keep me entertained with some random gossip. But this 4 hour journey back to the city felt like an eternity; neither of us spoke a word. Kazuki just sat there opposite of me, staring out the window for the last hour.

He'd been like that since he came back from asking my sister something "very important".

"Hey, Kazuki… Did something happen?"

Kazuki turned his attention to me and grinned,

"Hmm? Something? What do you mean?"

Ughh… here he goes again, returning a question with another question… It was honestly a bad habit of his.

"Are we really doing this again?" I threw him a quick glare to which he chuckled in defeat.

"Okay, relax. No need to look at me like that."

His gaze fell back onto the world outside,

"I just had an argument with your sister… That's all."

"An argument?" I was surprised. I always thought they were very close to each other. And he did confess that he… liked my sister...

Kazuki sighed,

"There was a clash of different perspectives…"

I could see the sad blue aura lingering around him; I had my doubts.

"Really? It sure doesn't seem like it was that simple…"

Suddenly, he reached his hand out and pinched my nose with an annoyed grin,

"But it sure does seem like someone's too nosy!"

"Stop it!" I shoved his hand away embarrassingly.

He always treated me like a kid… or more like his little sister if I were to be more specific.

Now that I think about it, Kazuki treated me slightly differently from the other girls like Charlotte or Laura, definitely. He always watched over me, scolded me and forgave me for my mistakes like he would do for his own sister.

An older brother… that would be the most fitting role to describe his behaviour towards me.

"Say… Do you have siblings?"

"No. I was an only child. Why do you ask?"

"Oh. I really thought you had a little sister or something, maybe not..."

There it was again. His eyes filled with compassion as he so lovingly smiles at me.

"If only I had a little sister like you…"

I felt the heat rise to my face almost instantaneously; I quickly looked down to hide my face.

I stole a glance, and my blush disappeared when I saw the melancholic look on his face,

"I've always wanted a brother or a sister…"

I could sense the loneliness in his tone.

So he's never really known how it's like to have a sibling… I sympathized with him a little.

He suddenly snapped out of his wistful mood and smiled sheepishly,

"Sorry. Forget what I said. I was just rambling."

"..."

There was still so much about him that I didn't understand, but I felt that I came slightly closer to doing so just now.

At the end of the corridor, I could see the vendor walking down with her trolley of food.

"You want something to eat, Houki? It is almost 2 pm."

I nodded, maybe a bit too eagerly,

"Yeah. Wonder what they have today…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"What?! He's still alive?!"

The president of Japan angrily slammed his hands against his desk surface, glaring at his secretary.

Her intimidating, yet alluring ruby eyes looked bored and uninterested,

"We received a call from the head of the IS academy the other day… It seems as the corpse we found in the ocean on Christmas Eve turned out to be him."

"I thought I made it clear to you that he doesn't survive that explosion!"

"I believe your order was to precisely order him to destroy the gospel, sir."

The man raised his voice in frustration,

"Do you not understand what this means for me?! He was supposed to die there! Now I have to worry about keeping the kid's mouth shut."

The old man tapped his hand against his table in thought,

"Should we have him secretly brought back in to work for us again?"

He shook his head,

"No… After what we put him through, he'd never agree... The damned academy has the absurd rule of diplomatic immunity and complete independence from organisations too…"

He looked up from his desk with a grave look,

"...must I resort to silencing him somehow?"

The secretary furrowed a brow,

"If I may, sir, I do not think that is necessary. That man is already branded a terrorist by the UN. I do not believe his opinion will reach anyone's ears nor do I think he is the kind to spread rumors."

"True…"

The president stared at his secretary with doubt in his eyes,

"You sure seem to think you know a lot about this man… Is there a particular reason?"

"..." the woman fell silent for a brief moment.

"I hope you're not developing unnecessary sympathy for him just because you worked with him for a short period back when you were just an agent…"

The former agent took out her trademark sunglasses and put them on,

"Rest assured, Mr. President. There will not be any problem regarding that matter. Then…"

She did a quick bow and left the room, a look of deep thought on her expression.

She recalled to something Kazuki had said to her.

 **-Flashback-**

" _Satoshi Kazuki. I must ask you a question."_

 _The blond was surprised to see a tinge of eagerness from the usually-stoic woman._

" _Now that's rare. I was surprised to see that you even remembered my name, but this… this is a whole new story."_

" _Why did you accept it?"_

" _Accept it?"_

" _It was clearly a suicide mission forced onto you for no reason. Why did you accept it? Even after I let your friends hear the phone conversation between you and Shinonono Tabane about your core."_

 _The woman was confused to see Kazuki's reaction when he suddenly chuckled,_

" _Hahaha… ugh… you don't get it do you? This is why you are still not married."_

" _That is unrelated."_

" _Did I hit the bull's-eye?"_

 _With a steaming lump on the blond's head, he continued seriously,_

" _Listen, I didn't accept your little 'suicide mission' business; this isn't a game. Sometimes, when you're faced with two difficult choices, you have to decide which of the consequences you are willing to shoulder. That's what being an adult is all about. It may have come a bit too early for me but..."_

 _The government agent's eyes slightly widened when she saw the honest fear in the blond's eyes._

" _...not everyone does what they want in life. So we do what we can; the best we can… to make up for what we lack."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Tabane walked lifelessly into the kitchen a few hours after Kazuki had left for the city. She saw an empty plate on the table and noticed the familiarity of the scent.

The smell led her to the fridge and she saw a plate of her own portion. She could see the extra adding of pepper and coriander, all neatly wrapped with a plastic wrap.

 _'Tom...'_


	24. IS S2 Chapter 4

**A/N: We are currently in the "rising action" of the story and nearing the climax, so I hope you are excited for that (because I am).**

 **That being said, a lot of the things you read here may be confusing to you; but all, if not, most will be explained in due course.**

 **An important thing about asking me questions in the review; I often have trouble deciding whether or not I should send a PM because some questions are rhetorical, so if you could make it clear that it is a question directed to me, that would be awesome.**

 **Other than that, as always, I would like to thank you all for the continued patience and interest in my fanfic. I say the same thing every chapter, but I really do mean it.**

 **If you have any question, again, don't hesitate to ask. Just make it clear that it's not rhetorical.**

 **P.S. might be a little late, but happy new years.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 4**

Houki and Kazuki were back to the main IS academy campus, making their way towards the accommodation.

"We're back…" Houki trailed off almost nostalgically.

"I guess we are..."

Houki still noticed Kazuki's uncharacteristic frown and gave him a good slap in the back,

"It's not like you to be like this for so long! She'll forget about it, don't worry."

The blond only smiled in defeat,

"Yeah. I hope so…"

She couldn't take it; she couldn't bear to see Kazuki like this.

"Hey, Kazuki. Come to the dojo with me. I have something to show you."

"I was actually going to slee-"

He tried to protest, but Houki insisted, dragging him off the path and towards her clubroom.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **Somewhere in Japan…**

"Squall. We have a problem."

It was M; showing mild annoyance about something. They were situated in a very expensive looking apartment flat, equipped with a flat screen TV, high quality carpet, sofa, and almost a bird's eye view of the whole central city.

The blond woman casually sipped from her glass of wine with an unbothered look on her face,

"A problem?"

"We've got the report back from our informant in the government. They found out."

Squall furrowed a brow,

"So they've already found out that he's alive… That is a problem…"

M crossed her arms in annoyance,

"We should've had a closer involvement in the government. We could've kept him hidden for a little longer."

"I thought I told you that getting any closer is a risky move."

"..."

The little girl only glared at the older woman, to which Squall chuckled,

"You shouldn't glare like that, my dear. You'll spoil your cute face."

"So what now?" M inquired impatiently.

The blond woman took her last sip and set her glass down with a decisive smirk,

"I thinks it's time we go meet our young hero."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was a rather modest looking dojo. It was empty; Kazuki and Houki were the only two there.

"Now watch carefully…"

Holding a real katana in her grasp, she drew in a battojutsu stance. She swung in fluid combinations, ending it with a smooth sheath of her blade.

"Wow. As expected of a 'bushido' as you always put it. Colour me impressed." Kazuki grinned, impressed by her display of swordsmanship.

Houki smiled, swiping the sweat from her forehead,

"Whenever I feel down, I always like to practice my battojutsu with a real katana. It almost slices away the stress. Here, you try."

Her hand stopped mid way,

"Wait, do you know how to wield a blade like this?"

The blond looked at her blankly,

"I know how to wield a kitchen knife. Does that help?"

Houki facepalmed.

"Just take it."

He shook his head unsurely,

"I don't think it's a good idea… handing an amateur a real sword…"

"It's fine. I'm watching over you. If things get too dangerous, I'll disable you."

She gave him a thumbs up, to which the blond sweatdropped,

"Oi, oi, don't say such a scary thing so casually…"

Kazuki stared at the weapon still in Houki's hands,

' _I appreciate her concerns, but I'm not sure about this…'_

He reached out to grab its hilt, and the instant his hand made contact, Kazuki felt like something had zapped him. The coldness ran up his spine. He instantly let go of the sword, letting the sword drop with a loud 'klang'.

"Kazuki!"

His eyes came back to life as he quickly snapped himself out of his momentary trance.

"Are you okay? Did you get cut?" she seemed worried, so Kazuki calmed her down.

"No, no. I'm fine. My hand just… slipped, I guess."

Houki apologized,

"Sorry… I shouldn't have forced you…"

Her expression fell sadly, so Kazuki quickly brightened with a sweatdrop,

"No, don't be sorry! It's my fault for being scared of it. Tell you what; do you have one of those wooden ones instead?"

Houki picked the katana up and sheathed it.

"The shinai (bamboo sword)? We do, but are you sure?"

Kazuki nodded.

Houki went into the storeroom and brought back a standard sparring shinai, one long enough for the blond.

"Here."

Kazuki took the shinai in his hand and took a couple good swings. He kind of understood what Houki was saying. Taking a couple strong swings did help relieve some of his stress.

"Hey, you're right! This is pretty fun."

But he saw Houki rub her chin analytically, watching his every swing.

"Why do you look so serious all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?"

"Your form is quite good… Your swings too. I didn't know you were capable of using a shinai. Have you done kendo before?"

He shook his head cluelessly,

"Huh? I… don't think so…"

Then he realised.

' _The Apeiron project… It must be that again. So it's not just firearms but weapons in general.'_

Houki dropped her serious expression,

"Say, Kazuki, do you want to have a quick spar?"

Colours drained from the blond,

"Do you have a grudge? Ask Ichika. He's better with stuff like this. Besides, I'm not looking to wake up next morning to a horrible cramp or bruises."

"Don't be so negative! Have some confidence in yourself!"

"I don't know about tha-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Houki rushed at him, drawing another shinai she had kept hidden behind her back.

She swung down, but Kazuki brought his shinai overhead just in time to block it.

"H-Hey! That wasn't fair!"

"Hahaha! Nice block! You got good reflexes! I expect nothing less from you!" Houki laughed like an old man.

Houki continued to swing left, right and centre, keeping Kazuki pressured and unable to do a thing.

"C'mon Kazuki, show me what you've got!"

"Argh… Don't get carried away, you little bugger!"

Kazuki barely parried a loose swing and sliced horizontally across Houki's stomach, but she stepped back and dodged it with ease.

Kazuki followed up with a two-hand diagonal swing with all his weight. That was a mistake.

Houki took this chance to parry, forcing him to lose his balance.

"That was a nice counter, but it's my victory."

She reeled her shinai overhead and prepared to strike down with all her strength.

Kazuki only stared at the shinai coming down onto him in slow motion.

' _This is going to hurt…'_

Just before he braced for the pain, he saw Houki's figure one last time, and then suddenly, it flashed with a figure of a completely different person.

Kazuki's eyes widened; it was a man in white armor and a patternless white mask, striking down at him with his long, flat tipped katana. He felt the killing intent; the bloodthirst from the masked figure; he was going to be killed.

At this point, pure adrenaline fuelled the blond; his eyes momentarily changed colours, he stomped his front foot firmly into the ground to regain his balance, and swung upwards across Houki's incoming strike.

The result was shocking, to say the least.

Kazuki's shinai broke through Houki's, and the force of the swing left a small cut across her cheek. She was also left with a shocked expression on her face.

Kazuki's eyes returned to its normal state and snapped out of his adrenaline rush. He looked at his opponent nervously; it was a young girl in her teens; it was Houki.

"H...Houki! I'm so sorry! I didn't know what I was doing… Are you okay? Houki?"

It took a few seconds for Houki to return to her senses,

"J-Just how did you do that?"

Houki stared into her broken shinai with a serious look.

' _For a second, his killing intent spiked… I clearly felt it.'_

She noticed the sweat on Kazuki's face, as well as the paleness of it. He seemed like he had just seen death of some sorts.

"Kazuki, are you okay? You're sweating like crazy."

Until Houki pointed it out, the blond didn't notice the coldness of his sweat forming on his forehead and his rapid breathing. It wasn't because he was tired. He knew terribly well; that wasn't the reason. It was something he was all-too-familiar with.

Fear.

Houki saw his hands shaking slightly; he tried to stop it by holdings his arm with his other hand, but it wouldn't stop.

"You know what, Kazuki, you need to get some rest… You're not looking so good..."

Kazuki clearly saw the worried look in his friend's face, so he tried to force a smile,

"Y-You're right…"

He carefully handed her his shinai, but then he noticed a trickle of blood coming from the small cut on Houki's cheek.

"Wait, Houki, your cheek…"

"Don't worry about it. I can get it fixed later."

Kazuki showed reluctance,

"You can't! You have to do it now! It would be a shame to let that face scar!"

Houki sighed,

"Jeez… What am I going to do with you… Even in a situation like this, you're more worried about a little scar on my face… You're hopeless."

"Heheheh..." Kazuki chuckled lightly.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The two ended up going to the infirmary; Houki had her cut patched up with a small plaster, and Kazuki was sitting on the edge of a bed with a bored look.

"There you are. All fixed."

"Thank you, Yamato-sensei." Houki tapped lightly on her plaster to secure it in place.

The green-haired teacher glared at the blond and scolded,

"Putting an injury on a girl's face is a sin, Satoshi-kun! You should be more careful next time you spar!"

Kazuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, having collected his composure.

"But sensei, what do you think?" Houki asked.

Yamada contemplated ponderously,

"Well, I am no doctor, but it seems like he had a lot of stress accumulated… Satoshi-kun's fine other than that. I think a good night's sleep should bring him back to the way he was."

Houki was relieved to hear it,

"I-I see… That's a relief…"

"See I told you not to worry too much about it." Kazuki gave her a reassuring grin.

He looked out the window and saw that it was pretty dark.

"By the way, what time is it?"

Yamada flipped her wrist around to check,

"It's exactly 8 o'clock. It's nearing your curfews."

"She's right, let's go back." Kazuki suggested.

Houki nodded, and the two left the room, followed by the teacher.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The past day had been really strange for me. Something had possessed me to confess my feelings to Kazuki; I was rejected, met my sister, Kazuki had a fight with her, and the spar Kazuki and I had.

He had claimed that he had never wielded a sword in any shape or form before, yet he seems better than Ichika, and myself included. Although it frustrates me to admit it, those moves definitely weren't the moves of an amateur. And at that last moment...

I had to be honest; I was afraid. I felt a certain coldness from Kazuki which is something I can never imagine from someone like him, with him being a kind and warm person in general, but that's what scared me the most.

But this was only for an instant; the killing intent disappeared without a trace after that, and he was back to his old self; maybe a bit shaken up.

And for some reason, he looked as if someone had died in front of him. He was sweating cold sweat and his face was pale as a ghost.

I just rolled onto my sides on my bed and closed my eyes.

I just didn't know what was going through that blond's head. I didn't think anyone did. But sometimes, when I look at him, I can't help but think that he doesn't either.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Like Houki, Kazuki had returned to his room to rest.

He stood in front of the room door and stared at the number "1025". For Kazuki, it was a strange feeling being on the other side of this particular door; it was like a mystical doorway to something new; or something akin to a pandora's box, some might say.

Today, however, he wasn't feeling up for it. Kazuki rested his head against the door tiredly,

' _Who am I kidding… I'm tired… I just want to sleep.'_

The blond pushed the door open and entered. It was oddly quiet. Not to mention, the lights were off.

"Charlotte, I'm back… You in?"

Silence.

When he took a look inside, there was no one there.

' _I wonder where she went. It's almost past the curfew…'_

Kazuki sighed; he didn't care. He simply collapsed, face first, onto his bed and mused to himself.

The fear fuelling him during his spar with Houki earlier; he replayed it in his mind over and over again.

' _That wasn't a natural reaction. For a second, I wasn't myself...'_

And the figure that suddenly replaced hers as she struck down. A white mask; that was all he could remember. He didn't recognize it at all.

' _I'm starting to lose it...'_

He turned himself around onto his back and stared at the white ceiling. For a brief moment, he didn't feel like doing anything; he didn't even want to think, so he just lay there blankly for the next minute.

…

…

…

Out of the blue, an image of Tabane smiling popped into his head.

' _Tabane...'_

A surge of sadness came over him, but he quickly tried fighting them off, but failed. So he decided to push those thoughts away by thinking about something else.

' _How can I find out more about the Apeiron Project…'_

Kazuki pondered on that question for awhile;

' _Go talk to the Japanese government? No… That's technically saying 'please arrest me'. I'm a wanted fugitive now...'_

' _Get a broker to look for information regarding the Aperion Project? No… I don't have the money to do that…'_

' _Ask Tabane? No… She probably doesn't want to see me right now…'_

He let out a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes.

' _I'm out of options… I don't even have an IS as a means of protecting others or myself, for that matter.'_

He chuckled to himself incredulously,

' _It feels like I've lost everything… and I feel like shit…'_

In the middle of his muse; before he realised, he was deep asleep.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was another bright busy day at the IS academy. Although it was Sunday, the students all gathered in their respective classrooms to discuss more about the event they were each going to facilitate during the school fair.

Ichika was just coming out of his class; having finished the class discussion.

He quickly glanced at his smart watch and his eyes widened,

"Oh, no! It's already time for my special training!"

He tried to book it for the changing room, but a voice stopped him.

"Hi!"

Ichika wondered who it was; it was someone he had seen before; someone important.

"Student council president?"

"Don't be so formal. Just call me Tatenashi."

Ichika saw her walk up next to him.

"I-Is there something you need from me?"

"I'm going to be your IS coach for awhile." she replied simply.

"Eh?"

Ichika turned to her with a reluctant expression,

"But why all of a sudden? I already have so many… Kazuki, Houki, Charlotte…I don't think I need anymore…"

"I'm curious; who's the one, out of that circle, that has a greater influence on you and your training?" she asked.

Ichika tilted his head to think for a second,

"'Greater influence'? Then it would have to be Kazuki, I guess… He seems to be very earnest and serious about making me stronger…"

The azure-haired girl hummed,

"Hmm… That's what I thought… Looks like Orimura-sensei was right about it too..."

"Chifuyu-nee was right about what?" Ichika pried at the last part.

"Nothing. But anyway, you're still weak, right?"

Ichika didn't take that comment well, but he tried his best to show it.

"I don't think myself to be that weak…"

"No, you are weak. Very very weak."

Ichika couldn't hold it in any longer, so he turned around to give her a piece of his mind, but he was stopped by a fan pointing close to his mouth.

"...so to make you at least a little better, I'm going to give you training personally."

Ichika's anger reached a peak,

"Must you say all that!? Fine, I challenge you to a duel! If you lose, I will have you take back everything you said!"

The girl simply grinned,

"Mmhmm. No problem!"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"You what?" Kazuki blinked at Ichika with betrayal and disbelief.

Ichika was on the floor with his head down in a bow.

"Kazuki, I'm so sorry! I was just caught up in my anger; I got carried away…"

"Got carried away? You went on a damn vacation to the moon with your emotions!"

Ichika didn't understand what he meant exactly and gave the blond a puzzled look.

Kazuki facepalmed,

"Okay. What was your deal with the student council president?"

Ichika's voice fell low; almost ashamed to say it outloud,

"Well… I said at first, that I would do anything that she wanted if I lose, but she told me that wasn't enough."

Kazuki nodded.

"Keep going."

"So she told me to make sure that you join the student council."

"And you agreed to that?"

"Like I said earlier, I got carried away. And I'm very sorry about that. I am still repenting."

Kazuki closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Something about her smelled fishy the moment he met the girl; now it was coming back to bite him in the behind.

"...c'mon, what're you doing on the floor? Your uniforms going to get dirty."

He lent Ichika a hand to get up on his feet.

"...sorry…"

"Forget about it. It's not like she can make me anyway. But I'm more worried about you; what is she going to do with you?"

Ichika slightly looked away, recalling to his last conversation with Tatenashi.

 **-Flashback-**

" _It's my complete, utter loss…"_

 _Tatenashi smiled blissfully,_

" _Mmhmm! Good! I like honest boys."_

 _She opened her hand fan decisively and continued,_

" _Then I will be the only one to train you; your friends can help from time to time, but remember; I decide what,when, and where you train. Deal?"_

 _Ichika showed a bit of a hesitation, but agreed,_

" _Alright… then-"_

" _Wait! I'm not done yet!"_

 _Ichika sweatdropped, but listened intently._

" _You have to make sure to convince him to join the student council."_

" _Why?"_

 _Tatenashi blushed in embarrassment,_

" _Ichika-kun's so clueless! There's no way I can tell you that!"_

 _He furrowed a brow in confusion,_

" _O...kay…?"_

 **-End of Flashback-**

A heavy hand dropped on Ichika's shoulder.

"Well, what can I say… You have my condolences." Kazuki said simply.

"What? You're not throwing me into the gutter, are you? You have to come with me to the training sessions, just in case something happens."

"Don't worry. She may be in charge of your training now; I can still be your sparring partner during the practical phase of your session."

Ichika nodded gratefully,

"Great, thanks. I thought I'd have to train with her alone; I would die from the awkwardness."

"Anyway, I'm hungry. What're you getting?" Kazuki stared at the menu in the distance, looking for something to eat.

"The usual. Aren't you having Ramen again?"

The blond drawled, having trouble making out the words in the menu board.

"Nah… might… go ahead… and have something… new…"

He gave up; it was just too far away for him to see.

"Hey, Ichika, what does that say second from last?"

"Huh? You can't see that? It says battered pork cutlet."

"Okay I'll try that one today."

"Did your eyesight change? You used to read it from further away."

Kazuki shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Maybe I need to start wearing glasses now. Who cares! C'mon, the lines getting huge!"

"O-Oh, alright."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The boys sat on a window seat and was enjoying their lunch, as per usual.

"-munch- but I can't imagine you with glasses. I don't think it would suit you." Ichika suggested.

Kazuki was busy cutting his pork cutlet into smaller bits, so he threw a lazy answer,

"Who knows? I might become the Buddy Holly of the 22nd century."

"Who even is that?"

"A charming singer."

"..."

"It's a joke. Don't take it so seriously…"

There was click from the speaker in the room, and an announcement followed.

" **Satoshi Kazuki. Please report to your homeroom teacher as soon as possible. Satoshi Kazuki; report to the homeroom teacher…"**

"Ohhh. Look who's in trouble~" Ichika poked him teasingly.

"What are you, a 1st grader?" Kazuki shook it off with a grin and walked off.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Why am I here, sensei? What did I do this time?" Kazuki began in a relaxed tone.

The raven-haired instructor was adorn with her usual stoic expression.

"Nothing too serious. Just checking up on how things are going."

The blond gave her a perplexed look,

"I'm fine…? You could've asked that during class."

Chifuyu sighed, staring into a random document on her desk.

"I see…"

She looked up and probed,

"And I assume you're stepping in as Ichika's sparring partner?"

"Yes…? Is there a problem?"

The older woman heaved another sigh and closed her eyes,

"You see… I just got a call from Tabane…"

Kazuki grinned,

"How is she?"

For a second, his instructor gave him an analytical look,

"...Did something happen between you two?"

The blond grunted almost reflexively, looking away slightly,

"Well… let's just say we had an argument…"

Chifuyu fixed her eyes on his like lasers, and it was making him uncomfortable.

She finally closed her eyes and leaned back,

"Whatever, that's not important. She mentioned something about you that bothered me…"

He flinched; what could she have said about him?

"What did she say?"

Kazuki was hoping that the scientist hadn't said anything unnecessary.

He would never know, however, because Chifuyu didn't say anything.

"...nothing. You're dismissed."

Without another word, she returned to her pile of documents.

' _What was that all about?'_ with a confused look on his face, Kazuki started for the door.

That was when he saw it. The instant he turned around, he came face-to-face with something blood-chilling.

It was a face with no eyes, just the sockets, but it was smeared in dark red blood. Its skin was pale and almost transparent. It was like looking at a ghost.

Kazuki's reaction was instantaneous; he screamed and fell onto the floor.

His teacher's head snapped up to see the blond sitting on the floor staring at something in front of him. She stood up and went over to him.

"Oi, what is it? What happened?"

Chifuyu could see the sweat running down his forehead, and his skin pale as a sheet of paper as he just blankly stared into the empty space in front of him.

When Kazuki jerked his head to snap himself out; the ghost was no longer there; just an empty hallway.

He noticed his own rapid panting; so he tried to calm himself down.

"... I-I... it's nothing… Must be my imagination…"

The blond pulled himself up on his feet.

The instructor only looked at him in concern; she decided not to pry,

"...You must be tired… get some rest."

He breathed out lightly and agreed wholeheartedly,

"You're right. Sorry for the trouble."

With that, the blond left the office.

His raven-haired teacher only watched with a mix of concern and confusion.

' _Something's wrong with him lately… Just what happened to him the past few days…?'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

This was the second time I hallucinated today. There was definitely something wrong with me. Is it because of what happened with Tabane?

No…Though it was hard, I've come to terms with my mistakes and what had happened…

I had to think. I was fine the past month, but all of a sudden, I started seeing things that I've never encountered before.

That thing with the white mask… That ghost in Chifuyu-san's office…

Everything was fine up until I touched that sword Houki gave me… It was similar to the cork rifle during the festival, but this was much more intense…

Either way, I was losing it. Maybe she was right; maybe I was tired and just need a good sleep…

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

...

 _Chaos. That was the only thing that came to mind as I just blankly stared at the scenery laid out in front of me._

 _A small section of the city was ablaze; lighting the night with the menacing colour of orange and red. At the centre of it, there was a large twin tower building; the windows all shattered, and fire blowing through them._

 _All I could hear was the sound of collapsing buildings, the roar of the flame, and the screams of terrified people, all in a sonata of anarchy and death._

 _I could still see the people running for their lives; some holding children, running over a path of burnt corpse and past passages lit aflame._

 _It was a horrible sight. But I could do nothing but spectate the whole thing._

 _..._

That was when Kazuki's eyes opened to greet the world of the IS academy; the reality.

He blinked a couple times.

' _I feel much better… It would have been even better if it weren't for that crazy dream…'_

It was 8:30 and he noticed that Charlotte was still in her bed. She seemed to be covered in her duvet from head to toe.

' _She must have been cold…'_

"Oi, we have 30 minutes until homeroom. You should hurry up and-"

When he uncovered the top bit of the duvet, he was surprised to see turquois hair when he was expecting blond.

"What the…"

He ripped it out of the intruder's grasp and was less than impressed to see Tatenashi winking at him.

With the duvet still in his hand, Kazuki stared at the girl in silence. She was in nothing but a white button shirt.

"Good Morning, Ka-zu-ki-kun!"

The blond threw the duvet over her again in annoyance and walked off into the bathroom,

"What are you doing here? Where's Charlotte?"

Tatenashi pulled the duvet off her face and pouted,

"What? You prefer her over me?"

The blond came back out with a toothbrush in his mouth,

"If you're looking for an honest answer, then yes, I do. In fact, I would prefer anyone over you."

Droplets of tear formed in the corner of her eyes and she shrunk into herself,

"You're so cold, Kazuki-kun! I'm a frail, lonely girl who's looking to find someone she can trust! Do you know how hard it is to do that on top of being the student council president?"

Kazuki shook his head in disbelief and re-entered the bathroom,

"Yeah, yeah… my heart bleeds for you…"

In the meanwhile, there was a knock on his door, but he didn't hear it from the sound of the rushing tap.

But Tatenashi seemed to have heard it and scuttled her way to the door.

"Yes, Yes! Coming!"

When she opened the door, Cecilia stood with a blissful smile.

"Good morning, Kazuki-san, I'm here to get-"

Then she saw Tatenashi, wearing nothing but a button shirt, not to mention, unbuttoned.

"Mornin'!" Tatenashi beamed.

Her smile quickly fell into a confused frown,.

"Miss president…? What might you be doing in Kazuki-san's room?"

Kazuki then came out of the bathroom, wondering what was going on,

"Why are you getting the door, for crying out loud- oh, it's you Cecilia. What's up?"

The blond girl crossed her arms and pouted,

"Kazuki-san! Just what is the student council president doing in your room?! Being dressed so improperly!"

It was clear that Cecilia was misunderstanding the situation, so he tried calmly explaining,

"I don't either; she was just sleeping in Charlotte's bed and-"

Tatenashi suddenly butted in, grabbing Kazuki's arm and hugging into it,

"And shared a passionate night on the same bed! It was so wonderful, wasn't it, darling?"

…

…

…

"Oh. Darling…?" For a second, Cecilia's eyes seemed dead; like that of a robot.

Kazuki knew exactly where this was heading.

"Cecilia, don't fall for that old trick! She's just teasing you; she doesn't actually mean it!"

The girl embracing his arm nodded in agreement,

"He's right… I'm sorry."

His expression brightened in relief.

"See. So no need to go into your terminator mode-"

"I'm actually pregnant."

 **Thud**

There was an awkward thud as Cecilia's bag dropped onto the floor.

Kazuki's jaw dropped to the floor.

Tatenashi gave him a shy wink,

"So, darling, you'll take responsibility, right?"

"Ho...hohohohohoho…" Cecilia's expression darkened, laughing very disturbingly to herself.

Several drones of her Blue Tears materialised all around Kazuki. Tatenashi took the opportunity to move away to safety.

"C-Cecilia…?"

There was a blinding light, and a mysterious explosion in one of the rooms of the IS academy student dorms.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Thankfully, the three were walking together to class with a much relaxed mood compared to a moment ago.

"My! You should have said so! I was completely misunderstanding the situation!"

Cecilia beamed with an innocent eye-smile; as if nothing had ever happened at all.

"Sorry, Cecilia-chan! I guess my joke went a bit too far." Tatenashi laughed nonchalantly.

"Oi."

The two turned around at the angry voice; it was Kazuki with a pretty beaten up state; a black eye, red slap mark, and several lumps on his head, a temple vein bulging, not to mention.

Cecilia quickly went over to him and lightly hugged his arm with an apologetic smile,

"Ah...hahaha… why of course, Kazuki-san, I was in the wrong… Please allow me to make it up to you next time."

He saw the nervous smile on her face and couldn't really stay angry,

"-sigh- it's fine. Besides, it's not your fault. It's just that… that little…"

He glared at the student council president in annoyance, only to illicit a cheeky moan,

"Hmmm?"

He felt another vein bulge, but left it at that.

It was going to be a long day; he could feel it.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

After a long 2 hour session, Kazuki finally walked out of the class with a bored look.

"Finally… the 2 hour sessions really suck. Anyway, what time is it..."

He reached into his pocket for his phone, but it wasn't there.

The blond lightly slapped himself on the forehead,

' _Must have left it in my room…'_

He peeked through the class door and saw that it was almost time for Ichika's training.

"Better get going…"

But a childish voice stopped him dead in his track.

"Yahoo, Kazuki-kun~"

Never did the blond think that someone's voice would evoke such degree of annoyance that it surprised him.

"-sigh- you again… what do you want?"

The girl seemed to be in a good mood for some reason; he didn't want to know why.

"Fufufu… You see, Ichika-kun and I had a bet the other day…"

' _Well, crap.'_

Kazuki sternly put his hand out,

"No."

"Eh? But I didn't even say anything."

"You want me to join the student council don't you? I heard it from Ichika."

"So? Don't you want to join us? To make this school a better place?" she suggested.

"Join so that you can overwork me to death? I don't think so. Now stop wasting my time!"

"Hmmm? You sure you want to act like that around me?"

The confident smirk on the girl, however, unsettled the blond. There was something.

Kazuki turned around with his arms crossed,

"And what if I do?"

Suddenly, she whipped her phone out of her pocket,

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe tell Tabane-san about your deep, heart-wrenching love for her."

He flinched on the inside, but kept his cool,

"And what gives you that impression?"

She giggled but reach into her pocket and took out a familiar looking black flip phone.

"H-Hey, that's... when did you-"

She flipped open the phone to reveal a background picture of Tabane winking at the camera.

"..." he was at a loss for word. This was something he didn't expect.

But he still kept his ground, smirking nervously,

"Even if I did, there's no way a small fry like you can get her number. She doesn't even know-"

Then, without another word, she began dialling a number. She pressed call and waited for an answer.

' _There's no way… there's just no way for her to know the right number.'_

Tatenashi seemed to have been able to connect; she put the phone in speaker mode.

" **Yaho! This is everyone's idol,the genius Shinonono Tabane! Is that you, Ta-chan?"**

Kazuki's eyes widened,

' _T-Ta-chan…? Plus this childish voice… there's no mistaking it. It's her.'_

"Ah, yes! Sorry to call you so suddenly; I was just wondering how things are going."

" **Mm! Thanks to Ta-chan, there's hardly any trouble here with the journalists and all those annoying bunch!"**

"I see, that's great to hear. Once, again, I'm sorry to intrude. We'll talk again sometime!"

She hung up.

"What did she mean by trouble? Did you help her?" Kazuki pried seriously.

"When she came to the academy to free you from the crystal, information of Tabane-san coming here got leaked somehow. All I did was to tweak and manipulate that, so she won't have to deal with the media." Tatenashi gave him a confident grin.

"... I see…" the blond fell silent.

Tatenashi gazed at the grave look in his face curiously,

"If you love her so much, why don't you just tell her?"

"You don't understand. It's not that simple…"

She had her gaze fixed on the boy for a minute longer and turned around with a disappointed sigh,

"Oh, well… I don't want to really force you like that, so if you don't want to join, that's fine."

"Wait."

That was unexpected for Tatenashi; she stopped, giving him a look of surprise.

Kazuki let a small grin form,

"It looks like I had the wrong impression of you. Allow me to apologise."

He slightly lowered his head, making the student council president slightly uncomfortable.

"If you say something like that so suddenly… It troubles me…"

"Still. Thanks for looking out for that reckless idiot."

His kind and gentle smile took Tatenashi by surprise, and couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"Oh, stop it! You're overreacting."

Kazuki's expression softened and began walking off, gesturing her to follow.

"C'mon."

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?"

Tatenashi tilted her head in confusion.

"To the student council room. Right, president Tatenashi?" he said.

Perhaps it was because the blond had called her by her given name for the first, a hue of red formed on her face.

"Y-You mean…"

Kazuki nodded affirmingly,

"Yeah. I'll join the student council."

The girl's brightened like he's never seen before,

"That's great! Then let's not waste any time!"

She skipped past the blond, whistling away blissfully.

"Tatenashi."

The girl curiously turned around to see Kazuki staring a hole through her.

"Have we ever met before? Like in the distant past?"

She tilted her head sideways in confusion,

"I… don't think we have…? Why?"

"No… It's nothing. Just a random thought."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **Week 1**

"Kazuki-kun, make sure class 2 makes it in time for the festival; It's only 3 more weeks from now."

"Yeah, on it."

…

"Kazuki-kun, did you check the schedule to see if there were clashes with other subjects?"

"Will do."

...

Kazuki fixed his pair of glasses firmly into his eyes and brought his focus back into the pile of documents he was in charge of.

Coincidently, Laura and Charlotte saw Kazuki working in the student council room by himself.

"Kazuki? Is that you?" for a second, Charlotte wasn't sure if it really was him or not.

"What's with the glasses? I thought you were a different person." Laura added.

Kazuki looked up from his work and greeted them with a light smile,

"Oh, hey. How's Ichika's training going?"

"Yeah, it's been tough as usual with the student council president pushing him to his limit though…" Charlotte admitted.

Laura crossed her arms proudly,

"So, what. That just means he'll be able to grow stronger more quickly."

Kazuki returned to his documents with a relieved grin,

"That's good. Looks like Ichika's in good hands…"

"You know, I haven't seen you at all during the training sessions for the past few days. Is something the matter?" Charlotte asked slightly in concern.

Kazuki waved his hand sheepishly,

"No, no! It's just that the prez is pushing all her workload onto me; I'm just a bit busy, that's all."

"Hmm… If you say so…"

"By the way, Charlotte, why is the prez in my room?"

"I don't know… She came up to me a few days ago and told me that I'd be changing rooms to Laura's…"

"So it was her doing after all…" Kazuki chided.

The blond urged them on,

"Anyways, you guys go on ahead; I wouldn't want to keep you. Training's in 5 minutes, isn't it?"

Charlotte smiled,

"Yeah, we'll make it though, no worries."

"Don't push yourself too hard. Even the most experienced warrior needs a break." Laura said confidently.

Kazuki chuckled with a sweatdrop,

"Y-Yeah… Thanks."

 **Week 2**

"Kazuki-kun, where's the report from the class representatives?"

"Class 4 is having issues with agreeing on an event."

"Ugh… It's always class 4… I guess there's no choice then, let's go pay them a visit. C'mon Kazuki-kun."

 **Week 3**

"Finally, I've done my share of workload." Kazuki stretched his arms out in bliss.

Tatenashi gave him an acknowledging smile,

"Nice work. I wish I had 5 more of you. Very efficient and hardworking!"

He looked at the clock and saw that it was time for Ichika's training.

"And just in time too. Let's see how much Ichika's improved over the last few weeks."

"A-Ah, Kazuki-kun, wait!"

"What? Is there something else I missed?"

Tatenashi flipped through a pile of her documents and pulled out a good stack.

"Here. I was actually in need of some help with my stuff."

"What? Looks like someone's not been doing their homework." Kazuki cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed by his president's tardiness.

"Give me a break! You know how busy I am with Ichika's training."

"Then why don't you leave his training to me? You can do your work-"

"Okay, thanks! Bye!"

Before he could stop her, she was gone; gone like the wind.

"..."

Without having any choice, Kazuki simply set the stack of paper on his desk and began scribbling away.

 **Week 4**

"Okay, Kazuki-kun, let's run down the list of things… Food and event stands?"

"Check."

"Class events all planned out and ready to go?"

"Check."

"School interior/exterior decorations?"

"Check."

"Any problem with the council budget?"

"We are in the green."

"Any unsafe equipment or event that could cause a problem?"

"None."

Tatenashi clapped her hand once conclusively,

"Fabulous! Everything is as planned! Good work everyone!"

The circle of student council members all clapped cheerfully at their achievement and retired for the day. Kazuki remained in his seat, looking over the list of events carefully once again.

"Kazuki-kun?"

When everyone had left, Tatenashi walked over to the blond and peeked over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"You're still looking at that? I told you it's fine now."

"Yeah, but never hurts to look again to check that everything is in the right place…"

She grinned slightly,

"I didn't think you would care that much about this festival. Looks like I was wrong."

"You're not wrong. I don't." he said simply.

She frowned,

"Then why are you working so hard for it?"

"Why would I care about something so childish and pointless like this? I'd rather be washing an old man's feet."

' _Old man's feet? Where did that come from…?'_ Tatenashi sweatdropped.

Kazuki grinned to himself,

"I just want the guys to make the most out of this festival, make fond memories so that they can look back to them later in the future…"

The turquoise-haired girl's expression softened,

"Don't you think that this is also a good opportunity to make fond memories of your own?"

He chuckled,

"A memory of my own, huh?"

Suddenly, he saw something unnatural in the corner of his eyes. He turned his attention to whatever it was, and it immediately sent chills down his spine.

It was the ghost again. But this time, it was a little girl in full form. Her eye's missing; but like last time, the sockets smeared in blood, just staring at him from the corner of the room.

Tatenashi noticed the blond freeze up all of a sudden.

"Kazuki-kun?"

She lightly tapped him on the shoulder, making him drop his pen on the floor. The sound snapped him out of his daze, and he quickly pointed towards the ghostly figure.

"O-Oi, look, over there. There's something there."

Her eyes followed where Kazuki was pointing, but there was nothing there; just a dusty corner of the room.

"There's nothing there…?"

He looked at her as if she was crazy, and quickly turned his attention back to the ghost, and it was indeed still there, almost as if it was staring into his soul.

"Are you okay, Kazuki-kun? Maybe I worked you too hard. You should go get some rest for the day, I'll take care of the rest."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

She wasn't seeing it; that thing in the corner of the room; it was still there. By now, I was smart enough to figure out that the past hallucination wasn't just from fatigue. It wasn't just a coincidence.

I was going mad and I didn't understand why.

Thankfully, the ghost was still in the corner, just standing there like a hologram.

If it wasn't me going absolutely nuts, then I assumed it was something to do with my Odin's eyes. There must be a glitch. That was the only way to explain the things that's been happening to me so far.

But I decided to take her advice and take the rest of the day off.

"Yeah… I'll do just that… I'll leave the rest to you…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki was there, sprawled out onto his bed, resting his cold metal arm on his forehead.

"I need to go see Chronicles…"

Meeting Tabane was not an option for him anymore, not after having that big arguement.

He dragged his hands across his face in frustration,

"But I don't know her phone number! Damn! Should've asked for it!"

He flipped his phone out and stared at the picture of the genius scientist.

' _Am I really going to do this…?'_

Kazuki almost jumped out of his skin when the phone suddenly rang.

 **From: Tabaco**

' _Oh shit… oh no… What do I do… pretend I left my phone in my room? But what if it's something urgent, or she's in danger…'_

The blond pictured Tabane being in all sorts of trouble and danger; he couldn't handle it any further. He pressed call and answered,

"H-Hello, Tabane?"

" **What are you so worked up like a fool for? It's me."**

The voice was monotonous, and he instantly knew who it was.

He instantly closed his phone shut and tossed it to the side.

But then there was a knock on the window.

' _I know this pattern…'_

He walked over to the window and uncurtained it to see Chloe's deadpan expression.

"Let me in already."

"..."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"I thought you'd be thankful for the fact that I was the one to come."

"I am… It's just… You could have done it a little more normally..."

The two were there in the room; Kazuki was lying on his back on his bed, with Chloe looking over his exposed IS core in his chest with her luggage full of tools.

"But man… a month sure does fly past when you don't keep track..."

"Then you'd better start doing it if you don't want to go through that again."

The reminder stabbed him like a knife.

"No kidding… The pain was worse than fighting the silver gospel."

The two fell silent, enjoying the quiet peace as the sound of adjusting bolts and screws filled the background.

The blond broke it after a few minutes,

"So, how's your master doing?"

"..."

"Is she eating well?"

"..."

"Is she getting enough sleep?"

"If you're so worried about her, why don't you go see for yourself?"

Kazuki chuckled to himself,

"You know I can't do that…"

Her hands stopped moving,

"If you love her, then why don't you tell her that you do? Do you not know how much Tabane-sama misses you?"

"So you figured it out too? I should be more subtle with my emotions a little more…"

"You're dodging the question."

The blond seemed to be in deep thought; he was silent for a moment.

"I can't." He began.

"At least, not yet… Not until I prove to myself that I can look her in the face without feeling guilty or ashamed. Right now, as it is, I don't even deserve to call that person by her name."

Chloe couldn't respond. She could see the hue of sadness coming off the blond.

He closed his eyes, replaying the words that were said to him in his head,

" _ **... I know it's a one-sided thing and I understand I'm being a bother to you, so don't worry… I'll sort this feeling out on my own…"**_

"I don't deserve to see her… not until I prove it… that I can walk by her side… even if that means I no longer have a place in her heart." he sighed.

Chloe realised her hand had stopped for awhile, so she went back to the maintenance,

"... You're a fool… No matter what happens… You don't change…"

Kazuki smiled childishly with a toothy grin earning him a painful poke.

"Ouch! Hey! Don't do that!"

"This is the best medicine for a fool like you."

"Ow! Stop it! Seriously!"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Chloe had made finishing touches to Kazuki's core and began packing up her tools to leave.

"There were little scorch marks on the edges, but it wasn't anything serious. A monthly maintenance will do more than enough."

"Then-"

Chloe cut him off, knowing what he was going to say,

"BUT, this does not mean you're okay to go rampant, raging war on whatever you want."

Her expression fell into a serious frown,

"As Tabane-sama had already said, you're body will become progressively weaker as you strain your body more than you need to. It will start affecting your senses first."

Kazuki shrugged it off with a nonchalant grin,

"Bah! You're saying the same thing she told me. It's not true."

"Take this more seriously. I'm being serious."

She was right. Kazuki could see the Odin's eye on Chloe, gazing into his blue eyes.

Suddenly, she leaned in closer to his face, and observed his eyes a little more in detail,

"Has your eyesight been affected by any chance?"

He flinched slightly, but denied it the best he can, turning his head away slightly,

"No. My eyes are fine."

The platinum haired girl closed her eyes and crossed her arms,

"Then I guess those glasses are just for show, I hope?"

"..."

The girl finally sighed, and her tone softened in a way that was slightly different from her usual monotonous one,

"...I'll be back to check on you next month… Until then, please refrain from ruining your body any further..."

She turned to leave, but Kazuki stopped her,

"Wait. How… are my eyes?"

She paused, but answered honestly,

"Other than your eyesight getting slightly worse, there's nothing else wrong with your Odin's eye. Everything is working normally."

"I see…"

Perhaps he was disappointed with the answer; Chloe felt the melancholy in his voice.

After a short moment of pause, Chloe left the room, leaving Kazuki alone in the room.

' _So those hallucinations weren't a glitch…'_


	25. IS S2 Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello, once again, dear readers. Back with another chapter - this one's fairly long, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **University started last week, and so, I will be getting busy and all, so you may see a slow down of chapter releases, but I'll try to post each chapter within a month.**

 **You may see some syntax/grammar mistakes; I hope not too much, but I did slightly rush myself to get this chapter out, so no surprise there if people spot them.**

 **As always, I would like to thank you all for the support and the helpful/kind comments in the review section, and I hope to see more.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 chapter 5**

The school festival was only a day away, and people were scrambling left and right to make finishing touches since morning.

Kazuki, once again, was in the council room by himself, triple checking the reports and other documents for the festival.

"Okay… We're expected to get around 2000 people in the campus; maybe more… Gotta think about rationing the ingredients for the food stands…"

He fixed his glasses onto his eyes firmly and flipped the paper around.

"We'll need to make some adjustments to our budgets just in case the ingredients run out in the middle."

He took out a calculator,

"So that's a new estimate cost of…"

The blond put his things down abruptly and sighed,

"What… am I doing…?"

" **... and what if Houki gets endangered because of me?"**

Kazuki looked at the reflection of himself on the window with a troubled frown,

' _Is it really okay to leave things like this…? Was Tabane right? Am I no longer needed to protect Houki?'_

His attention briefly shifted to something supernatural in the room. It was the ghost; the same thing he had been seeing for the last month, but this time, it was a man in his mid 20s.

' _I thought it was always going to be the little girl, but the ghosts were different every time they appeared. Sometimes, it was young children, older teens, middle aged, and seniors; man or woman. They were all people I've never met and seemed like they used to be ordinary people…'_

Kazuki sat back on his chair, observing the ghostly figure analytically,

' _They don't do anything; they don't move, speak, hear, or feel. They're just projections that just stared at me with those bloody eye sockets. The fact that I became slightly used to them disturbed me.'_

The blond cleared his workspace and began packing up.

' _But by no means I welcome them. They are an eyesore. I just can't relax a single moment with them when they stared at me like that.'_

He left the room quickly to avoid its following gaze, perhaps too carelessly that he bumped into someone in the hallway, knocking the person's belongings onto the floor.

"Oof!"

Kazuki looked down to see a familiar blond girl.

"Oh, Charlotte. Sorry, I wasn't looking."

The girl smiled,

"It's okay. I heard from the others. You recently seem always lost in thought… Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, it's nothing. Just thinking about the festival… Here, let me help you with those." Kazuki bent down to pick her books up, but Charlotte quickly snached them off of the floor.

"U-Uh, it's okay, really! If you're okay, then that's good… But give me a holler if you need anything! I'm in a hurry so…" Charlotte smiled and ran off hastily.

He just stared at her weirdly,

"She must be busy too…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The school bell marked the halfway point of the school day, and the students all gathered in the cafeteria for their lunch.

Kazuki saw Houki and Rin sitting near the window seats, and went to sit with his own tray of food.

"Hey, mind if I sit?"

The two seemed slightly surprised and daunted to see him, but he didn't pay too much mind to it.

"Sure, but we were just about done eating…" Rin said uneasily.

The blond shrugged,

"Well, bad timing, I guess. If you guys are busy, you guys can go ahead; don't let me hold you back."

"Y-Yeah, sorry, Kazuki. We'll see you in a bit." Houki stuttered.

The two girls then scurried out of their seats, leaving Kazuki by himself.

He slightly twitched his head in confusion; it was almost as if they were trying to run away.

"Is it just me or are the guys trying to avoid me? Well, they must be busy preparing for the festival..."

He still couldn't shake the feeling off, but decided to shrug it off.

So, there the blond sat, having a lonely lunch for a change.

' _Weird...'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The last class had ended, and it was just about time for Ichika's training.

"I haven't trained him in ages… But today, definitely."

Kazuki stood up from his seat and went over to Ichika, who was packing up his things.

"Hey, Ichika, I'm free today, want to have a little spar after your training?"

Ichika turned around, and it was the same look the girls gave him.

"O-Oh, Kazuki. Sorry, but Tatenashi-san told me to take a break today to prepare for the festival… Maybe next time." he said nervously.

"Oh... Okay then… I'll leave you to it…"

With that, Ichika hurried out of class, again, leaving a perplexed Kazuki.

"Tatenashi canceling a training session? Now that's unheard of."

"Kazuki-san!"

A bright voice called for him, and it slightly relieved him.

He turned to see Cecilia with a gleeful smile, and it made him a little uncomfortable..

"Hey, Cecilia. How are the preparation going for the festival?"

"Why, it is progressing fabulously! All thanks to Kazuki-san's effort in the student council."

Kazuki noticed a large box she was holding,

"What's that large box for? Do you need help carrying that?"

As if she had expected him to ask, she immediately shoved the box into his arms,

"Oh, will you? You are such a kind gentleman!"

It was large box, but it wasn't as heavy as it looked,

"Hey, this isn't even really that heavy…"

Cecilia collapsed onto her knees and feigned exhaustion with teary eyes,

"It is too heavy a burden for a young, frail, maiden like myself… I couldn't possibly carry such a heavy load all by myself, and-"

"Okay, okay! I'll carry it!" he sweatdropped.

The blond girl's expression brightened instantly,

"Great! Now, the culture club wanted this by 7 O'clock this evening. Please don't forget!"

"Wait, at least show me where-"

"Thank you, Kazuki-san!"

She was off on her merry way. For some reason, to Kazuki she seemed to be in a delighted mood.

"For crying out… Tatenashi, and now Cecilia?"

The blond grunted in annoyance, but let the issue go. He left the class with the large box in his hands, heading back to his dorm.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was 5 minutes before 19:00 and Kazuki wandered the dark corridor, looking for said culture club.

"You could've at least given me a classroom number…"

He switched his nightvision on and looked around some more.

' _How weird though… it's so dark. Are there even people here?'_

The blond came across the door to an isolated classroom, thinking it had to be the only one. He switched his nightvision off and entered.

He was greeted by more darkness and complete silence.

"Hello? I have some stuff here for the culture club… Is anyone here?"

Then, he was blinded by the light that had turned on suddenly in the room.

There were several loud "pops" and then the cheering of familiar voices ensued.

"Thank you, Kazuki!" they all said in unison.

Kazuki blinked several times and saw that the room was decorated with balloons and colorful glitters. There was a billiard table at one end of the room and a large capsule slot machine at the other. There was a large table in the middle of the room with a huge variety of dishes; there were Houki's karaage (fried chicken), Rin's sweet & sour pork, Charlotte's pot-au-feu, and even Cecilia's sandwiches.

Ichika and the girls all welcomed him with a bright smile, wearing the silly cone hat on their heads with the exception of Laura who had it on her mouth.

"W-What's all this?" the blond had trouble forming the sentence, still recovering from his surprise.

Cecilia began,

"We know how hard Kazuki-san worked to bring this festival to us."

"Being the class representative and a member of the student council. You worked really hard." Rin nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm proud to call you my wife." Laura added.

Ichika went over to Kazuki and gave him a pat on his shoulder,

"You also seemed a little down lately. Houki told us that you were depressed because you recently had an argument with someone close."

The blond's eyes widened and saw Houki giving him an understanding grin.

"Houki…"

"...so that is why we decided to organize a surprise party to cheer you up." she explained.

"So that's why you guys were avoiding me the whole day. For a second, I thought I smelled."

"Sorry about that, you must have felt a little hurt." Ichika admitted.

"But you guys did all this just to cheer me up?" Kazuki enquired.

Charlotte rubbed the back of her head sheepishly,

"well… it's actually Ichika's birthday today, but we thought it'd be a good idea to just celebrate both at the same time."

The blond felt slightly bad,

"Oh, no. Sorry, Ichika… even though it's your birthday… making you do all this for me…"

"Don't be! Besides It was my idea anyway." Ichika shook it off with a bright smile.

Rin gestured towards the table and shoved Kazuki to it lightly,

"Hurry up and sit down; the food's going to get cold! Make sure you try my sweet and sour pork first."

"H-Hey! No fair. Kazuki, try the pot-au-feu first!" Charlotte urged strongly.

Ichika grabbed a bite of Houki's karaage and gestured towards it,

"No, no, you have to try this first. Houki's karaage are the best."

Houki couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, but she seemed fairly proud and confident.

However Kazuki sat down and the first thing he went for were Cecilia's sandwiches.

Everyone's faces turned a shade of purple.

"O-Oi, Kazuki!"

"Don't you know Cecilia's food is murderous?!"

"Wha- how dare you!" Cecilia retorted.

But Kazuki only continued to eat in silence, much to everyone's unease.

Though it frustrated her to know her cooking skill was lacking, Cecilia felt anxious, thinking that he didn't like her food.

"K-Kazuki-san, if it's bad, you don't have to force yourself…"

Kazuki grinned,

"You guys made these with all your love and efforts. How can it possibly taste bad…"

"Kazuki-san…" Cecilia blushed, deeply touched by his words.

The others all broke into a smile of defeat.

"I guess he's right. Food's food, right?"

"That's true."

"I guess so."

Kazuki looked up to see his friends looking at him thoughtfully. So the blond urged them on,

"What are you guys waiting for? It's your food. Go ahead and eat 'em."

The awkwardness broke and everyone began enjoying a bit of each dish, sharing their thoughts on them as well as having a good few gossips.

In the middle of the festive mood, Kazuki watched the merry scenery of his friends smiling with a smile of his own,

' _That's right. I haven't lost everything yet… I still have my friends...'_

The gang spent the rest of the time talking, laughing, and playing games.

Kazuki tried to play billiards, but he ended up putting a hole in the room ceiling with everyone laughing at him.

"So, this is how you hold it…"

"Wait… like this?"

"Yeah. Now just use the tip of it to hit that white ball onto any striped ball."

"Sounds easy enough."

"W-Woah, hey Kazuki, that's not how you point it!"

"Oh… I don't have to pay for that… right?"

"Pfft..."

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

They all played darts, which Kazuki excelled in; perhaps a bit too much as the game always ended with a mysterious hole in the wall.

Finally, the gang each drew from the slot machine; some with toy figurines of the IS, some with a certain someone's swimsuit. It was a draw of absolutely the most random things.

Kazuki opened his capsule to see a plain silver locket necklace.

"...? What's this?"

Houki recognised it immediately, and her expression rose into a nostalgic grin.

"Oh that's…"

When he opened it, he saw a small picture of young Tabane and Houki together, holding each other adoringly. It was Tabane in her late teens, and Houki as just a little girl.

Ichika peeked over Kazuki's shoulders to see,

"Wow… Tabane-san doesn't look different from now and then. But look at Houki, so small and cute."

Her blush deepened,

"Shut up! More like, stop looking at it!"

She proceeded to hit and shove Ichika away, but Kazuki just stood there looking at the picture with a relieved smile.

' _Looks like I was worried for nothing… she can smile just fine even without me after all.'_

Somewhere deep inside him, it hurt acknowledging that.

"Did you not like the prize...?" Charlotte looked at him in confusion.

Houki turned around with the hue of red still on her face,

"You can't give him that! Y-You just can't!"

"Where did you even get this…?" Ichika pondered.

"I have connections… let's just leave it at that..." Laura stated simply.

Kazuki sighed,

"Anyway, she's right. I'm just going to look creepy. Houki should be having this."

"Well… that's not what I was implying… but still!"

Laura shook her head strictly,

"I'm afraid rules are rules. We all agreed to keep the item, no matter what it would be."

Ichika sulked,

"...yeah… I have to carry around Laura's swimsuit all the time… I'm going to get arrested…"

"B-But…" Houki tried to protest, but as Laura said, it was the rules.

Kazuki scratched the back of his head apologetically,

"Sorry, Houki. But I promise to take good care of it."

Houki caved in eventually,

"...Fine… You better not lose it though…"

Suddenly, Ichika pulled on Kazuki's sleeve like an excited child.

"Oh, oh! Here she comes, Kazuki, look!"

From the back door Chifuyu walked in in a maid's outfit. She had an uncharacteristic blush which threatened the blond to burst into laughter.

"Pfft…"

As if some unknown entity told Chifuyu, she sent the blond a death glare.

"You laugh, you're dead."

The temperature in the room dropped and everyone felt the cold tone hit them.

Regardless, she was carrying a whole cake and carefully placed it on the table for the gang to see.

"Woah, who made this?"

"This looks delicious!"

Laura puffed her chest out with a proud smirk.

"Hmph, of course! This is the product of the efforts of everyone in my special forces team! I named it 'operation: sweets fortress.'"

Indeed, the cake resembled a fort of some sort.

Ichika was dying to try some,

"C'mon what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"

"HOLD IT!"

However, Rin stopped everyone in their spot with her sudden, abrupt shout.

"What is it?" Houki asked impatiently.

"What do you mean? We have to take pictures!"

"Are you the type to take a picture of every food that comes out in a restaurant and post it on the internet?" Kazuki poked.

"What, you guys don't?"

Silence.

"You guys are weird." Rin took her phone out and proceeded take pictures of the cake.

"You finished yet?"

"Finished? We have to take a picture of it with us in it too!"

"Oh, dear…" Charlotte smiled with a sweatdrop.

Laura was being held back by Ichika, drooling uncontrollably

"Just a few more seconds, Laura! Just a little more patience!"

Rin gave the group a signal,

"Okay, I've set the camera up! Quickly huddle up!"

She quickly ran towards the group after setting the camera timer, but unknown to her, there was a mysterious banana peel lying directly beneath her foot.

She saw it, but it was too late.

The moment her foot came down onto it, Rin did the most magnificent black flip that would even impress the olympic judges.

"She fell for the oldest comedy clichè in the book!" Kazuki retorted loudly.

Then it was a chain reaction of mess.

Rin knocked out the chair Charlotte was sitting on, and it flew directly into Kazuki's face. In response, Kazuki flailed his heavy metallic arms around in pain, tipping the glass of juice onto the marble floor. Unfortunately for Laura, she was standing right on it, and had made her slip. She tried to grab something for support, but ended up pulling Houki's shirt down, revealing a bit of her pink undergarment. Ichika was in the perfect spot to see, but also in the perfect spot to receive a slug from the embarrassed girl.

Chifuyu just stood behind them facepalming.

 **Flash**

There was a silent flash, and the gang turned towards the camera awkwardly.

"...We're going to take another one… right…?"

Rin quickly recovered from her dramatic fall and went to check on her phone.

"Well… I've sort of run out of storage space… Isn't this good enough?" she ended with a quick laughter, confusing the group.

The picture came out as they thought it would. Nobody was looking at the camera, the 2 boys had their heads reeled back from the force of the chair and a certain someone's punch. The girls were either on the ground, or drenched in juice. However, it was a nice display of Houki's falcon punch towards poor Ichika, to say the least.

The group all roared in laughter, pointing at each other in the picture.

"Hahaha! Look at Houki and Ichika!"

"Speak for yourself; you're on the ground drenched in juice!"

"Ouch! Rin landed on her butt… That must've hurt…"

"Puhahaha! Kazuki's bleeding from his nose again!"

"That hurt you know…"

"Not as much as Houki's punch, let's be real, Kazuki…"

"...Agreed…"

"Shut up you, two!"

It was a happy and rowdy evening in the IS academy for Kazuki and his friends. The whole school was filled with their happy laughters and shouts.

But somewhere deep inside, Kazuki felt like it was going to be the last… But even though it may not be, he would enjoy it like it was.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Ahh! What a great evening that was!"

"But I'm so tired. I could fall asleep anywhere."

Kazuki and his friends were cleaning up to call it a day.

"Well, I'm gonna head back and sleep. I'll see you all tomorrow." Ichika waved as he retired from the room.

Cecilia and Houki followed,

"We'll be on our way too. Good night!"

Charlotte looked towards Laura and gestured,

"We should head back too. We have an early start tomorrow."

"Right. Let us return to our room then."

"Oh, wait a second! Charlotte I need to talk to you." Kazuki stopped the blond girl in her track.

"Okay? Laura, you go ahead. I'll be back soon."

Kazuki nodded in reassurance,

"It won't take long."

Laura shrugged,

"Alright. I will be seeing you tomorrow, dear wife of mine."

With that, she retired, leaving the two blonds together.

Charlotte fidgeted nervously,

"S-So… what did you want to ask?"

…

The two were out on the arena under the full moon. Kazuki was in the standard Uchigane model while Charlotte was in her own IS.

"You see, I wanted to test out a theory… regarding the Apeiron project and how it affected me."

The girl listened with the utmost seriousness, it slightly scared him.

"But sorry for having you stick around at this time… I'll make this quick."

"No, no! If anything, I want you to spend as much as you need if it helps you…" She quickly offered.

"Thanks." he grinned gratefully.

"Anyway, what is it that you're testing?"

Kazuki fixed the Uchigane's arm parts onto his and secured it in place,

"I had a growing suspicion that the Apeiron project had given me abilities to wield pretty much any weapon I touch."

"What, like some kind of superpower?"

"No, no! Nothing of that nature, but it's more as if knowledge of every single weapon in existence had been rammed into my head like a computer data."

She was beginning to understand where he was going with it.

"So you wanted to test if any of my guns worked for you?"

"Exactly. They don't call you guys model students for no reason."

Kazuki made finishing touches on his Uchigane unit and put his hand out towards her,

"Do you have any machine gun type of weapons? Like the ones you shoot non-stop."

"You mean like ARs? Submachine guns? LMG's?"

Kazuki was overwhelmed by the unusual terminology, and sweat dropped,

"Any one of them will do."

As told, Charlotte materialized a medium sized gun first and handed it to him.

Holographic targets appeared in the distance for him to shoot. He shot a couple rounds, but stopped mid way. His score was 60/100.

"No… next one."

This time, Charlotte took out a much more compact looking gun.

Again, he shot at the targets but received a less than satisfactory score of 45/100.

"No… this isn't it… Why is it not working?"

"Try this. This one's much heavier than the other two. It should give you a little more control."

Kazuki took what seemed like a light machine gun and took several shots with it.

An improved score of 70/100.

"Hey, that's actually not bad for a beginner!" Charlotte seemed impressed. But it wasn't right either.

"No… I just don't feel the same thing as I did when I used a rifle like the cork shooter or a sword… Then what does this all mean…?"

Kazuki was in a bind; he didn't understand what was going on. It was obvious that his theory was wrong. But why? Why work for just the sniper rifles and a sword?

"Hey, Charlotte, do you have any sniper rifles? Or anything close to it?"

"Yeah, sure. Here."

She materialized a standard anti-IS sniper rifle; not as strong as Cecilia's, but impactful.

He took it in his hand and then he felt it. The sense of calmness and the feeling of familiarity of the gasp.

He took it to the targets and managed a perfect score in less than 5 seconds.

"Woah… 5 seconds and 100% accuracy." Charlotte gawked at the scoreboard in awe; it displayed numbers she never knew were possible to achieve.

Kazuki lowered the sniper rifle with an unsurprised look.

"What's wrong Kazuki?"

He sighed, unable to find the words to explain,

"I… I just don't know..."

The smoke slithered out of the barrel of his rifle, and he stared at it for a long minute,

' _What's happening to me…?'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 _It was that dream again…_

 _The sky red reflecting off of the city engulfed in flames. The twin tower building… People screaming. It was the same dream. Exactly identical..._

 _A few words floated around in my mind like some kind of mantra._

 **...it wasn't your fault...**

 **...you had no choice…**

 **...everyone makes mistakes…**

 _There was a picture frame on the floor, the corners burnt off and stained with blood. I picked it up and saw someone I knew._

 _Sarashiki Tatenashi._

 _She was a few years younger in the picture, and she was standing next to someone who seemed like her father. They were holding hands and had taken a picture at a zoo._

 _They looked so happy… I felt something turning in the pits of my stomach. Then, darkness consumed me._

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The day of the school festival had finally arrived; and all the students were excited.

There were a lot of new faces; most likely students from different schools, or soon-to-be's roamed the school campus, visiting the large variety of food stands from all around the world.

Nightmare houses, cat cafe's, game centers, and a lot more events were being facilitated in each class with a huge load of people coming in and out.

Ichika was one of those people; wandering the school festival with all the leisure in the world.

"Wow… Look at that! They have so much stuff!"

He peaked into one of the classes and gazed at an adorable cat. It stared straight back at him through the window with an unimpressed look.

He stuck his tongue out in mockery, and the cat did the same.

"Hahaha. How cute…"

"Ichika!"

He broke out of his daze when Houki called out for him from far down the corridor. Ichika was surprised to see Houki there because she was supposed to be working in the maid cafe, which explained why she was wearing the black maid outfit.

"Houki? What's wrong?"

She ran up to the poor boy and grabbed him by his wrist,

"It's an emergency, we're a man short! We need you to serve as a butler!"

Houki began dragging him off.

"W-Wait, where's Kazuki?"

"I don't know! I haven't seen him all day today! He's probably really busy with student council work! Now stop resisting!"

Ichika grunted, but reluctantly followed her, matching her pace.

Suddenly, someone unusual caught Ichika's attention.

A buxom blond woman in her mid 20s walked past him down the corridor as if it was some kind of a fashion show. She wore a glamorous red silk dress. He also saw a younger redheaded woman in a suit and followed the blond lady like an escort.

They stuck out like sore thumb in the corridor, but they didn't seem to care.

"Ichika! What are you doing? Walk quickly!"

"Y-Yeah…" he stuttered and brought his eyes back in front.

' _I wonder who those people were… never seen them before.'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Meanwhile, Kazuki was busy signing important documents while the president was out overseeing the events.

He fixed his glasses onto his eyes and flipped over the page he was on.

Then, a knock interrupted his flow of concentration.

"Come in."

With those words, two older women walked in; one blond, one redhead.

He didn't bother to look up from his paper work.

The blond woman initially seemed almost happy to see him,

"It's been a long time, since I've seen you..."

Kazuki cocked a brow strangely,

"Is there someone you're looking for?"

"Yes, actually. You see, I was dying to see how you were doing after so long."

"I'm sorry, have we met before?"

The unfamiliar women didn't seem surprised.

"Squall-san…" the redhead looked towards the other woman.

"So it was true… You really did forget everything." Squall sighed.

That bothered Kazuki slightly, but he hoped that the person in front of him was talking nonsense.

"I guess there's no helping it. My name is Squall. And this is my subordinate, Autumn. I am the current leader of Phantom Task. Does that ring a bell?"

Kazuki's pen stopped moving at the moment "Phantom Task" was mentioned.

He chuckled incredulously,

"Then I'm the pope of the new orthodox church of japan."

"It sounds as if you don't believe what I'm saying."

"I don't." he said simply.

Squall sighed,

"Well, that's not important. You will come to terms with it at some point."

The blond woman walked over to him and suddenly leaned in into his ears seductively,

"You see, I saw your performance during your fight with silver gospel and it was love at first sight."

He didn't show any reaction; he wasn't giving anything away.

She leaned back and took a seat just across from Kazuki,

"Now, you're probably thinking that it was us that planted the nuclear explosives into the gospel. That would be an unfortunate misunderstanding; we do not exhort to such desperate measures to get something done."

"I don't know why you're telling me this, but I never asked. Now, if you two don't leave this room now, I'm going to have to call security." he demanded strictly.

Squall chuckled,

"Oh... Kazuki-kun, is it? The ridiculous new name you're going by nowadays? You really don't want to do that, if you're really are as smart as you seem."

"And why is that?"

"You see, you were branded a terrorist the moment you destroyed silver gospel that fateful day. If it weren't for Phantom Task's efforts, you would have been discovered by the government a long time ago."

Kazuki raised a brow curiously,

"You're talking as if I'm already discovered by the government. I hope that's just me over-interpreting things."

She gave him an impressed look and clapped,

"My, my. Would you look at that. You really are smart, aren't you?"

Squall's face fell into a neutral grin,

"That's right. The government's making their move as we speak. To hunt you down, Kazuki-kun. And we are here to help you."

"Help me, huh? Phantom Task? What, so now you do charity work?"

"To make things clear, we are not terrorists. If you're talking about the attack on the UN headquarters in Russia… That was one of many unfortunate decision of the previous leader… We simply had to follow his orders." Squall explained.

"And you expect me to believe that?"

There was a large smirk in the woman's expression, and he didn't like it one bit. She knew something he didn't,

"I don't expect you do believe it. I'm 100% sure that you know it's true."

The blond boy let out a puff of laughter incredulously,

"Okay. This is ridiculous. I'm going to call security."

He reached for the phone in his pocket.

"Have you noticed anything strange about yourself lately?"

All his motions stopped instantaneously.

Squall was still smirking confidently.

"For example, you have weird dreams, start seeing things, or suddenly be able to do things you never thought you could?"

Not seeing a reaction from the blond yet, she continued,

"The Apeiron Project doesn't give you supernatural powers. Everything that you are now, is merely a mirror image of what you used to be in the past."

Kazuki's eyes widened in shock,

"How do you…?"

He realised the moment the smirk grew on the woman's face; he had let his emotion show.

"Tch…" he clicked his tongue and looked away bitterly.

"Fufufu… I really love a man who's honest, Kazuki-kun."

"What do you want."

"Hmm?" she smiled gleefully, as if she didn't know what he was implying.

"Don't make me repeat myself. I'm asking what you want in return for information."

Squall seemed very satisfied,

"Fantastic. Now we're speaking the same language."

Her hands clasped together and laid her offer down,

"Simple. We were in need of a strong, capable individual after one of my subordinates got kicked out of phantom task by our last leader. You seem like more than a suitable candidate to join."

Kazuki shook his head with a confident grin,

"Like I'll join hands with a group of terrorists like you."

He stopped shaking his head and gave them a glare,

"I refuse."

Squall sighed in disappointment,

"Oh, well… I guess we'll have to try our luck with Dr. Shinonono."

"Small fries like you don't stand a chance against her." he stated.

"Perhaps not. But she's not invincible."

The blond woman stood up and paced around the room,

"I hear her little sister's enrolled here. Shinonono Houki. And her most trusted, and loyal friend, Orimura Chifuyu."

Kazuki's eyes lightly twitched in anger. But he tried to hold it in.

"Oh, the look on Dr. Shinonono's face as she finds out what happens to her precious people."

His grip on his pen tightened. He kept holding himself back.

"The look of despair, and the tears as Shinonono Tabane regrets and mourns for the loss of her precious friends. Who knows? We might accidently break her."

Kazuki reflexively snapped the pen he was holding and rose to his feet, but the redhead behind him pushed a handgun into the back of his head immediately.

"Don't even try it, tough guy."

He didn't move his head, but glared at the girl behind him,

"You seriously think a toy like that is going to scare me?"

"We don't. But I wonder if that's the same for the other students? What do you think Autumn, dear?"

Kazuki knew where this was headed,

"What makes you both think that I'd obediently join a terrorist group?"

"I know you will. For her. Because she is your master." Autumn said with a smirk.

"..."

Squall grinned,

"I don't think that's quite right, Autumn. He cares about her- no. Looks like he's grown head-over-heels for her."

Kazuki had grown sick of their games. His patience had worn thin.

"Tell me! How do you know me?! Who's behind the Apeiron Project?!"

"Fufufu, wouldn't you like to know?"

"Answer my question, damn it!" Kazuki lightly slammed his hand against the surface of the table angrily.

Squall snapped her fingers, immediately prompting Autumn to take out a small card from her pocket,

"I'll leave you with my business card. When you feel like you're ready, we will talk nice and slowly about what you want to know, Satoshi Kazuki-kun. Remember, we know something you don't and want."

The two began walking off, leaving a seriously angry Kazuki.

He slammed his fist against the table with all his weight and smashed it into pieces in his moment of rage.

Suddenly, the door to the room slid open and Chifuyu walked into the room, wondering what the ruckus was about.

"Satoshi. What do you think you're doing smashing the table?"

"Sorry...It's nothing..."

He left the room with his teacher watching his retreating back with analytical eyes.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **Few hours later...**

The rest of the teachers were all allowed freedom for the whole duration of the festival as it was the responsibility of the students and its council to run it.

Yamada Maya was doing her job as a teacher to relax in the teacher's lounge, looking out at the clear sky with a blissful smile on her face.

"Ah… It is so nice to be able to relax like this once in awhile… Don't you agree Orimura-sensei?"

The raven-haired teacher simply sipped on her cup of tea with her serious look on her face.

Yamada sweat dropped,

"I guess not… Is there something bothering you, sensei?"

"Satoshi broke one of the tables in the student council room couple hours ago. And I have to pay for it." she sighed.

The green-haired teacher gave her a weird look, but she decided not to pry.

She returned to the window, and suddenly, saw a large crowd of people walking towards the school entrance.

"My! Look at all those people. Looks like the school festival's going to be a huge success this year."

But then, something felt odd, so she squinted slightly to get a better look. Her eyes widened when she realised what it was.

"Yamada, what's wrong, you're looking purple. Is someone causing a trouble out there?"

Chifuyu walked over to her colleague to see, and understood why she had adorned a look of despair.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Meanwhile, the festival had moved onto the stage performance phase. It was a play about a poor little young girl in the hands of her mean, and cruel aunt; being forced to work every day. Or that was what it was supposed to be, until Tatenashi interfered.

" **Once a upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella…"**

Ichika stood on the middle of the stage, completely oblivious as to what was going on. But a huge crowd of spectators were watching.

Tatenashi's narration continued,

" **No… That's no longer a name…"**

"Huh? What?" Ichika looked around in confusion. This wasn't how Cinderella was supposed to played out.

" **Those who gleefully brought down swarms of enemy soldiers across countless proms. The most powerful warriors of the world… those who revel in utter destruction. The most appropriate title for those girls… That is the true Cinderella!"**

There was a projection of a large crown Ichika was currently wearing,

" **Girls dance around, targeting the confidential data hidden inside the Prince's crown!"**

The poor boy was suddenly blinded by the light being shined upon the stage. Then he saw Rin, standing on a nearby balcony railing. She was holding a sinister looking scimitar at her side for some reason.

" **Once again, tonight, the night of the bloodthirsty Cinderellas begins."**

"Rin…?"

"It's mine!"

She jumped from the railing and struck down onto the floor next to Ichika's foot.

"Woah!"

He dived away and looked at his childhood friend as if she was crazy,

"What the heck was that for?!"

"Give me that crown!" she ordered.

"What?"

Rin produced three throwing-knives from her dress pocket and threw them into a pillar next to Ichika's face.

"This is way too dangerous!"

He didn't notice the red dot hovering around his head. He understood when he heard the sound of gunfire.

"Sniper?! Cecilia too?!"

Ichika threw himself behind a balcony door to take cover.

"Don't tell me the others are also…"

Just as he feared, he saw Charlotte, Houki and Laura running at him from the other side below the balcony.

"Ichika, don't give your crown to them!"

"Silence! Ichika! Pass your crown over to me!"

"Nonsense! The crown is mine! MOVE!"

Ichika threw himself off the balcony and onto a nearby bush with a shade of purple on his face,

"Someone tell me what's going on! Why are they all trying to kill me?!"

He took his crown off to take a closer look.

" **For the prince, his country means all! So if he ever loses his- w-wait… O-Orimura-sensei?"**

There was a strange interruption in the narration; Ichika and the girls all stopped in their tracks.

" **All students, we have a disturbance occurring outside the school gates. All students should wait for the other instructors to arrive and escort you all into your dorms. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill…"**

"What's going on…?" Houki looked around and saw that everything was normal. There was nothing out of place; no sign of danger.

"One of the food stands probably caught on fire…" Rin assumed.

"But it must be something serious to do this in the middle of the school festival." Charlotte's gut feeling told her that something was wrong.

Laura tried to calm the gang,

"Relax. We'll get a good view of the entrance on our way to the dorm."

"There she is, our instructor. Let's go quickly."

A large crowd of the academy students followed the instructors out of the theatre into a glass wall corridor leading to the dorms.

That's when Ichika and the girls saw what was going on by the school entrance.

There was a mob of protesters, holding up signs that read "Terrorist", "Expel", "Danger". What was worse was that some of the signs had the picture of one of their friends.

Short blond hair, blue eyes. It was Kazuki, marked with a large red 'X'.

The security was trying to hold them back, but the protesters all shouted violently,

"EXPEL HIM! EXPEL HIM! EXPEL HIM! EXPEL THE TERRORIST!"

"WE DON'T WANT A TERRORIST IN OUR MIDST!"

"HE IS THE TERRORIST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NUCLEAR EXPLOSION AT THE EAST COAST OF JAPAN! WE DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN!

The gang froze in their spot. They could hear the angry shouts; word for word. And they knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Oh no… It's a protest!"

"How did they find out he's here?!"

Houki stared at the angry mob; she had seen this coming. But she wasn't ready for it. Nobody was.

"Kazuki!"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The blond teen had been spending a lot of time in his room the past few weeks. Perhaps it was because his mind was filled with complicated thoughts; he was always lost within them.

" _ **...we know something you don't and want."**_

He let the words sink into his head as he closed his eyes to ease his inner conflict.

' _They're obviously telling me what I want to hear… but if they know something about the Apeiron project, they're the only ones who can give me answers.'_

Kazuki swiped the TV remote off the coffee table and turned it on.

' _But if I join them, I can't come back… I'll become a real terrorist...'_

He closed his eyes, once again, and firmly decided,

' _No. I can't let that happen… I'll protect them. Ichika and the girls... With everything I have. So she won't have to regret or mourn for anyone…'_

With several press of the button, Kazuki surfed through different channels.

While surfing, for a split second, he saw a picture of himself. At first he was doubtful.

' _Probably someone else...'_

He quickly backtracked to confirm his hypothesis, but to his dismay, he saw a large picture of himself on the news channel with the word "Terrorist" highlighted above.

" **... just received words about one of the students at the IS academy being the one responsible for the nuclear explosion that occurred in the summer of last year. The culprit turned out to be none other than Satoshi Kazuki himself, who had been offered to be the IS representative of the country but also marked on the UN's blacklist…"**

' _It can't be… It's too soon!'_

He bolted out of his room, with the TV still left on.

" **...the government is trying their best to respond to this outcry, but with political immunity applied to all students of the IS academy, they have yet to make a move…"**

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Chifuyu slammed her hands against the headmaster's work table,

"What's the meaning of this, headmaster! How has it been leaked onto the media?!"

Kazuki and Chifuyu were called into the headmaster's office to talk about the protest and the terrorist issue. The raven-haired teacher was infuriated, and that was an understatement.

"Now, now, Orimura-sensei, please, calm down. I, personally, had no involvement in this leak in information and I still stand by what I said to you before; the students' needs are what's most important to me." the old man explained.

He looked at Kazuki in reassurance,

"So do not worry too much, Satoshi-kun. The IS academy's rules are absolute. The government will not be able to make contact with you in anyway. I will make sure of that."

However, the look on Kazuki suggested that he didn't seem convinced. But he remained silent.

The short man swivelled his chair around to grab some documents of complaints and lawsuits.

"...But I must do something about all this complaints coming from parents and other companies trying to bring down the academy… As you might expect, a lot of students may withdraw from the academy and that's-"

"I understand, headmaster. You're going to expel me if that happens."

"I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun… I really am… But you must understand that it's all for the sake of the future of the other students!"

"Yes. Of course… I understand your intentions."

The older man brushed his beard in relief,

"I see… Thank you… I will try my best, you have my word."

For the whole duration of their conversation, Chifuyu only frowned, with her arms crossed.

The headmaster sighed and gestured Chifuyu towards the blond,

"Well… That's all I wanted to say. Orimura-sensei, will you take Satoshi-kun back to his dorm?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki closed the door behind him as he left the headmaster's office. Chifuyu could see the look on his face as he fell deep in thought.

"What do you think?" she asked.

He kept his hands on the door handle for a second, then let go,

"I think he's full of shit. That's what I think."

She smirked in amusement,

"Good. So I wasn't the only one who noticed it."

The two began making their way back with Chifuyu taking the lead,

"So, will you be leaving the school obediently when he expels you?"

"I'm not sure… I'd prefer not to."

"Well you better think quick because this issue has spread like wildfire all over the world. It's only a matter of time until…"

Chifuyu paused. She decided not to finish her sentence.

"...No, nevermind."

Just when the two were about to arrive, they saw Houki running towards them with a panicked look.

Kazuki felt the pit of his stomach twist. He didn't like the look on her face.

' _Not again… what now?'_

"Kazuki! Orimura-sensei! They're… They're…"

Chifuyu firmly grabbed her by her shoulders,

"Shinonono, calm yourself. Who?"

"It's Charlotte and Rin! They're withdrawing from the academy!"

"What?!"

It felt like everything was falling apart for Kazuki.

Kazuki didn't realise he was shouting,

"Where are they?!"

"T-They're in their dorms but-"

He didn't wait to listen; he simply stormed past the two without a word.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Charlotte!"

Kazuki stormed into Laura's room to see Charlotte curled up on her bed, hugging her knees in tears. Laura was there beside her to console her.

Laura looked slightly hopeful with the blond's presence.

But Charlotte only sobbed, unable to look up.

"Charlotte, what's going on? Withdrawal? That's not like you! Did you forget? They'll put you in prison if you return!"

"I just got a call from my father… He's furious. He ordered my withdrawal…" Charlotte sobbed.

"The Dunois Corporation can't touch you! You have political immunity!"

"T-That's not the problem…" Laura intervened, handing the blond what seemed like an envelop.

"What is this?"

 **Direct order from the head of school:**

 **We are regretful to announce that Charlotte Dunois will be withdrawn from the IS academy under the name of client asset protection right.**

The blond's hands shook in rage as he read word for word.

"You see, the IS academy policy has loophole where in the case of jeopardy or danger within the boundary of the Academy, families or companies tied to the students have the right to withdraw them from the school. As part of the client asset protection rights law."

"Charlotte's not a 'Client asset!'" Kazuki felt the anger rile even more.

But Laura only gave him a grave frown. There was nothing he could do.

Charlotte looked up at him almost in plea,

"If I don't return, he said he's going to put a bounty on me! What do I do Kazuki?"

"Charlotte…"

His anger was quickly replaced with worry; he didn't know what to do.

Charlotte dropped her head back down. She couldn't stop crying, and it was heartbreaking to see for both Laura and Kazuki.

"Please, Kazuki. You have to help her!"

The blond walked up next to the crying girl and lightly placed a hand on her head,

"Don't cry, Charlotte. I'll find a way. I won't let them take you."

She looked up again, but this time, her eyes were glistening in hope.

He smiled, then hastily left the room to give them both space they need.

' _I need to think of something, quick! Before it's too late!'_

But right now, he needed to find Rin.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki went over to Rin's room and was surprised to find Ichika there as well.

"Ichika? What are you doing in Rin's room?"

"I've been trying to convince her from withdrawing! Kazuki, you say something too!" Ichika begged.

"You're not forced to withdraw like Charlotte; why are you dropping out?"

Rin frowned regretfully,

"Don't get the wrong idea… I never wanted this either…"

She continued in a sad tone,

"But my mom is worried sick. She told me to drop out from the academy when she saw the news. I tried to argue, but she doesn't believe me… I just… I can't go against what my mom says… Divorce was bad enough; I just don't want any more disparity in my family…"

Kazuki tried to open his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself.

' _Rin has a family. I have no right to do anything to disturb her relationship to them…'_

The blond sighed and let himself fall onto the side of the door frame.

"H-Hey, Kazuki, you okay?"

Kazuki pinched the bridge of his nose.

' _I can't do anything… I'm… too weak to do anything…'_

Rin saw the depressed look on him and tried to force a smile,

"W-Well, it was good while it lasted. Don't look so grim! You guys will be just fine!"

"Rin…" Ichika couldn't help but pity her forced smile.

Kazuki spoke in a low voice,

"To you, it may seem like nothing… But for me, you guys meant much more than that. Do you understand, Rin?"

Suddenly, he felt a strong slap against the side of his face and his eyes widened in surprise.

Ichika had a similar look when Rin slapped the blond across the face.

"R-Rin?"

"Nothing? Since you're so dense and stupid, let me put it into words for you then."

Kazuki re-adjusted his head back onto Rin and was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"I don't want this. I don't want to be separated from you guys. I want to be able to make my sweet-sour pork for everyone again. I want to be able to enjoy lunch with everyone in the cafeteria, laughing, and getting annoyed at each other. I don't ever want any of these to disappear!" she yelled with all her soul.

It didn't seem like she noticed that she was crying. Rin quickly faced away,

"Whatever… Just… go away… I don't want to be seen like this…"

"..."

 **Infinite Stratos**

With concerned looks on their faces, Kazuki and Ichika walked side by side down the empty corridor.

"Can you believe what's happening? I'm still trying to get my head around all this…" Ichika admitted.

"I don't blame you… I feel the same. It just happened way too quickly..."

Ichika tried to cheer the blond up,

"Hey, you know what? We'll figure something out! I'm sure, tomorrow, everything will return to the way it was."

Kazuki gave him an optimistic grin,

"You think so?"

"I know so."

The two stopped in front of Ichika's dorm room,

"Well, don't worry too much about it… The school will do something about the protest by tomorrow."

"Yeah. Thanks, Ichika. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."

"Yeah, get some good rest."

The raven-haired teen went into his room, and Kazuki went on his way towards his own.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The blond lay on his bed, once again, staring at the white ceiling in his muse.

" _ **If I don't return, he said he's going to put a bounty on me! What do I do Kazuki?"**_

" **I don't want this. I don't want to be separated from you guys… … I don't ever want any of these to disappear!"**

' _What do I do…? If you were in this situation, what would you do, Tabane?'_

He sat up from his bed and looked around,

' _I don't want to lose any of this either… These guys are all I have left… But if I don't do anything, they're going to end up splitting up. All because of… me...'_

Kazuki walked over to a picture frame that had him and all his friends during Ichika's birthday party.

His face fell into a pained frown,

' _Is there really no other way…?'_

The teen reached into his pockets and took out his black phone. It opened up to reveal a picture of Tabane winking at him with her finger-peace-sign.

For a long moment, he reminisced his time he had with the girl in the picture.

" _ **How about Tom?"**_

" _ **That's not bad. Where does it come from?"**_

" _ **Peeping Tom."**_

…

" _ **Hurry, Tom!"**_

" _ **It's not ready yet. So shut up and wait… and don't call me Tom!"**_

" _ **Alright, it's hot so be ca-"**_

" _ **Delicious! Seconds! Tom's stir fry is always so good!"**_

…

" _ **Oh and Kazu-chan."**_

" _ **Mm?"**_

" _ **Let's go on a date!"**_

" _ **A-A date...?"**_

" _ **Mmhmm! A boy and a girl going out to do things together!"**_

…

He could still remember the feeling of her soft lips from when she kissed. A memory he couldn't forget; a memory he would never forget.

Kazuki also took out his silver locket and opened it up to see. He smiled warmly, looking at the young siblings with such compassion.

The blond took one last look at the two objects before placing them down next to the picture frame and just stood still blankly for the next few minutes.

Finally, he came to a resolution.

' _...I made my decision… I won't let them cloud my judgement.'_

He started for the door, but then stopped to look back hesitantly.

 **Infinite Stratos**

 **Few hours later…**

"Oh, Kazuki-kun~ The protesters are gone!"

Tatenashi burst through room number 1025 with a gleeful smile on her face to find no one in the room.

"Not here?" she tilted her head curiously.

All students were told to stay inside, but obviously, the blond wasn't there.

The girl rubbed her hands together with a devious grin,

"Fufufu… Wait 'till I find you… I'll make you a permanent member of the student council for this!"

Tatenashi turned the lights on and noticed some objects on the table in the middle of the room. She walked over to it to see a picture frame and an open black phone.

"Oh… all of his things are here… Did he forget to take them?"

She double checked the surroundings, opening closets, checking the bathroom, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room nonchalantly in search for Kazuki.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Kazuki was standing outside of the school front gate and thanked for the fact that the protesters were gone for the day.

The blond tapped against his chest to check that his silver locket was there underneath his shirt.

He took one last look at the school before turning away.

"Where do you think you're going, Satoshi?"

It was Chifuyu's voice. Kazuki turned around and saw his teacher, arms crossed, standing on the opposite side of the gate.

"All students were ordered to stay in their rooms. I'll pretend I didn't see you just this once. So go back to your room before anyone sees you."

"Sensei, I'm going on a journey. A long journey to find myself. And so I don't think I'll be back for awhile."

"A journey to find yourself, in Phantom Task? I heard you talking to them earlier today."

"You never fail to impress me. Do you have ears installed all over the campus?" he chuckled.

It didn't seem like Chifuyu was in any mood to laugh.

"...are you really leaving then…?"

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

She looked away,

"No. I have no right to stop you; it's up to you to make that choice… I can do nothing but respect it."

Kazuki smiled in gratitude.

But his teacher continued,

"...as your elder, that's what I would say…"

She looked at him with sincerity,

"But as your teacher, I would tell you not to go and try my best to stop you. Even if that means dragging you back by force."

"So which one are you, Chifuyu-san?"

"..."

The two fell silent for a long minute, the sun dropping nearly below the horizon at the same time.

"Is this really the only way you can do things?" she asked.

"I'm sure there could have been other ways… But there's just not enough time. I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be saying that to."

Kazuki frowned as he felt a pang of guilt in his chest,

"I know…"

Chifuyu finally sighed,

"If you're still going to join Phantom Task, then I'll tell you this now…"

This time he could see the hostile look in her face, like she would to her enemy,

"Solidify your resolve; because the next time we see each other, we will be enemies. And we won't show any mercy, even if it's you."

"I guess we will be…"

With that, the blond turned around and walked off into the distance, and Chifuyu did the same.

...

 _ **Back then, I didn't know what consequences my actions would bring about. I would come to regret the decision I made that day; and to always wish I could turn back time; to undo the things I did. But that would always just be a dream… Just a simple fantasy...**_


	26. IS S2 Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again, dear readers. Once again, I must apologize for my tardiness in uploading a new chapter; it's been well over a month, and I have no excuse to put out for my laziness.**

 **This chapter is short, and one may not find it as exciting as some of you may have anticipated; but from this chapter on, there will be many key information relevant to the build up of the climax, so I do recommend that you read very carefully if you want the full experience.**

 **And again, I say this every chapter, but thank you so much for all the kind comments, the continued support and interest for this scrawny little fanfiction; and I will continue to do my best to make it worth your while. So I beg for your patience in the meanwhile.**

 **Also, I do not want to abandon this fanfic. I have been working on the final chapter and have everything planned out (but there is still a lot of developing to do until we get there).**

 **I apologize for the long A/N. Now, on with the story.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 6**

Farewells were always unwelcomed by many; it was like putting a distance or a wall to a relationship that was established with years of trust, understanding, and compassion.

The years it took to form these building blocks of relationship - snap - it would be cut off in a matter of seconds.

After a few days of chaos and uncertainty, Ichika and the girls were on the verge of this demise as Charlotte and Rin approached the front gate of the IS academy, getting ready to leave.

With Ichika and Houki seeing the rest off, Charlotte, Laura and Rin sluggishly dragged their luggage towards the exit.

"Wait, Laura, where are you going? You weren't expelled too, were you?" Ichika asked.

Laura gave him a dim smile,

"I'm taking her back to Germany. To have my special forces team look after her. So her father can't touch her."

"At least you'll be in good hands. I'm relieved for you." Houki gave Charlotte a slightly confident smile.

A step away from the other side of the gate, the two turned around and saw the grim look on the faces of their friends. All but Kazuki. He wasn't there.

Charlotte frowned,

' _It's better like this… I don't want to cause any more trouble for Kazuki and everyone else…'_

She felt a strain in her chest; her mind and her body were saying different things.

Rin forced a grin,

"Guys, don't look so down! We'll visit during your spring/summer breaks! I promise!"

The other 3 didn't say anything; it was quite clear that there was doubt in their expression.

"That's no longer necessary."

Another voice interrupted, and Chifuyu entered the scene with her usual stoic face.

"Orimura-sensei?" they all seem surprised by her appearance.

"What do you mean, Chifuyu-nee?"

"Your withdrawals were taken back by the headmaster just this morning." her expression remained neutral, not giving anything away.

"Taken back? Doesn't that mean…?"

Rin's expression fell quickly; the first thing that popped into her head was Kazuki.

"Wait, then what about Kazuki? Where is he?"

Charlotte understood what Rin was thinking and fear gripped hold of her.

"Don't tell me…"

Thankfully, their instructor shook her head,

"Relax. He's just gone for a month-long vacation. It's only until the rukus dies out…"

Ichika sighed in relief and smiled,

"Phew! I thought he got expelled for a moment there…"

"That is a relief… but what about his classes…? Should I send him my notes?" Houki turned to Chifuyu.

"I'll be sending him the notes; he'll be fine. Focus on your own studies before you worry about others'."

"So… we don't have to leave...?" Charlotte teared up slightly.

Ichika's expression rose in great bliss and cheered for the two girls,

"Hey, look! It all turned out alright in the end! You guys don't have to go!"

Laura's expression rose into a small grin,

"You heard the instructor; your withdrawals were cancelled. She's not the kind of person to lie."

"If only Kazuki-san was here to hear the good news..." Cecilia laughed in good will.

Chifuyu's gaze shifted away slightly, and Houki saw it. The small, yet clear wavering in her eyes. Houki thought it was simply ridiculous for her teacher to show any sign of uncertainty like that; and it bothered her.

But she decided to ignore it; she may regret doing so at some point, but for now, Charlotte and Rin had dodged a bullet; their withdrawals were taken back without expelling Kazuki. That was all that mattered.

While her students were all gathered together in a cheerful mood, Chifuyu motioned them towards class,

"Now then, if you're all finished slobbing about, how about you all get to class."

She flicked her wristwatch around,

"...You have 10 minutes until next class."

The temperature dropped at the last word, and the group turned to a shade of purple.

"Oh no!"

"H-Hey Charlotte, give me your luggage, quick!"

"B-But…"

"Listen to Ichika! Rin, quickly, let me help you with that!"

Ichika and the girls ran like there was no tomorrow, not having any leisure to even look back.

The raven-haired teacher crossed her arms and let out a grin. But soon after, she turned towards the gate with a serious look.

' _Forgive me, Satoshi.'_

She turned away and walked off. The wind blew where Chifuyu was standing as if clearing her leftover presence completely.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Few weeks had passed without a trouble in the IS academy, and the headmaster of the academy had sent out an apology to the media and had told the public about Satoshi Kazuki's expulsion by the end of the second week.

But in the meanwhile, it was late in the evening, and Ichika and Charlotte were both out on a mission that was given to them earlier that day. They stood, with their IS units, on a tall stack of cargo containers, looking over the workers unload the other containers from the cargo ship.

"So, IS equipment escort, huh?" Ichika confirmed.

Charlotte nodded,

"Yeah, supposedly some countries have asked us to test their prototype equipment…"

She quickly gave him an apologetic smile,

"Sorry you had to come with me on this mission. But it seemed like everyone else was busy, and Kazuki isn't back yet."

"Nah, don't worry about it! Besides, I can't let you take on everything by yourself."

"Thanks. I really appreciate-."

Suddenly, an explosion stopped the blond mid-sentence.

"What was that?"

One of the cargo was lit up in a brilliant ball of flame, and several armed ground troops moved towards the explosion to check.

Ichika quickly armed himself and prepared to jump down into action,

"Let's quickly go check it out too!"

"Ichika, wait."

Followed by the earlier explosion, a cargo truck came rushing in straight through the steel fence and came to a braking stop.

The cargo slid open almost futuristically; blue light erupted out of the interior and revealed 2 green military-grade IS units.

"Who are they?"

"No nationality or ID code…"

Ichika gave Charlotte a nod,

"Let's go, Charlotte."

"Okay!"

The two approached the unidentified IS pilots and engaged in combat as soon as they were spotted.

The two hostile pilots took out their SMGs and fired as Ichika and Charlotte hopped from container to container, acrobatically dodging the stray of bullets.

"Tch! They're so fast!" one of them spat.

Charlotte managed to sneak past behind the two hostiles and raised her pair of SMGs. The enemy pilots ceased fire in their temporary moment of surprise.

"Just let us catch you, so you won't get hurt." Charlotte suggested.

Ichika landed softly just behind her and took out his energy sword.

The enemies seemed surprised,

"Personal IS units?"

"Doesn't matter! Get rid of them!"

One of them resumed fire on Charlotte, while Ichika had the other pinned down with his energy blade.

The blond slid closer towards her enemy in an attempt to engage in a close-quarter-combat, but her enemy flew high up into the sky and kept her fire.

Charlotte managed to fare much better, dodging her enemy's bullets while also firing back much more accurately than her opponent.

The hostile pilot clicked her tongue and fired multiple heat seeking missiles, and that seemed to have impressed Charlotte.

She backed off and flew closer to the ground, forcing the missiles to plant themselves into the floor and detonate before they can reach her.

"You're pretty good." Charlotte grinned.

Her grin dropped into a confused frown when suddenly, the expression on the enemy changed into a painful one.

Then she heard it.

 **Bang**

It was an echoing sound made from a high powered sniper rifle, and its sound brought Charlotte high on alert.

She glanced at her falling enemy and she can see the back armor piece of the unit completely shattered, and blood was slightly seeping out from her wound.

Suddenly, her instincts kicked in and screamed at her to materialize her shield, and she was glad she did.

As soon as she raised her shield in front of her, an incredible impact dead-center on her shield took her by surprise and pushed Charlotte back, making her lose balance slightly in mid-air. And then, she heard the sound.

 **Bang**

' _Damn it! A sniper?!'_

She didn't have time to think; she heard the terrifying sound of the bullet whizzing over her head.

 **Bang**

Charlotte looked left and right for cover and saw a pile of caved in containers nearby. She ran for it, and just as her foot moved, another bullet dug itself into the concrete ground next to her feet.

 **Bang**

' _Judging by the delayed sound, he must be pretty far away… Quite the marksman, isn't he?'_

However, there was no time for admiring her enemy; the blond mentally slapped herself awake and found her focus.

"Ichika! There's a sniper around! Get to cover!"

But he seemed to be busying himself with his opponent; he couldn't hear her.

The sniper fire, however had long ceased in her moment of desperation for cover. It was silent; there were no more sounds of it.

' _Strange… did he reposition?'_

Ichika, in the meanwhile, skillfully parried a downward strike past his shoulder and aimed for an opening.

"I got you now!"

"Naïve!"

His enemy jumped back just in time to dodge his slash and countered with bursts of SMG fire.

The boy clicked his tongue in frustration,

"Tch… so close."

The hostile pilot took out a second sword out of her sheath and examined Ichika for a second. He readied his own weapon nervously.

' _This might take awhile…'_

"Ichika? Is everything alright? Need a hand!?"

Charlotte shouted from the other side of the container to which Ichika replied,

"All good! I got this; no worries!"

His enemy raised her sword and ran at him with a warcry, to which Ichika smirked in anticipation,

"Bring it!"

 **Bang**

With the sound of a powerful rifle, Ichika saw the hostile collapse onto the floor, expressionless.

Charlotte climbed over the container to see what was happening. She saw a shadowy figure behind the fallen hostile IS pilot holding something long.

' _The sniper?! He got here quick!'_ she thought incredulously.

"Who's there?! Identify yourself!" Ichika couldn't exactly see the figure on the opposite side with the smoke from the nearby fire.

But his mind screamed at him when he heard the sound of its rifle recocking.

He was too late to react though.

 **Bang**

However, fortunately for Ichika, Charlotte flew in in front of him with her shield up, ricocheting the bullet off into the distance out of harm's way.

"That was close…" she sighed.

"Thanks, Charlotte. Saved me there." he thanked.

The two brought their attention back to the shadowy figure in front of them. When the smoke flew partially out of view, they saw a long, white, intricate looking sniper rifle; a mix of futuristic and mechanical design. What surprised them wasn't how long its barrel was, but it began to shift form in front of their very eyes. Small parts shifted, compressed, and folded to form a long sword with a flat edged tip.

Ichika thought he recognized it,

' _That katana… it's flat tipped…'_

The figure walked out of the cloud of smoke to reveal the pale, horned white mask and the patternless white armor on its top torso and a pair of black baggy pants. There was an insignia of a half white mask on its shoulder.

"Phantom task!" Charlotte identified almost immediately.

The masked figure didn't pay Ichika and Charlotte any attention; as if they didn't exist at all. It sheathed its sword into a red scabbard at its back, not to mention.

It stared down one of the unconscious enemy IS pilots on the floor and then reached out with its claw-like hand.

' _What is he doing? What's he going to do to them?'_ Charlotte watched its every action carefully, her hands twitching nervously.

There was a short sound of metal bending and ripping, then Ichika saw the masked figure remove something from the IS unit itself.

It was a round and shiny object that glowed with mysterious shades of gray that radiated an aura of energy Charlotte thought she recognized.

The IS main core; the quintessential part of the IS mainframe; the heart of the machine. It was something the IS could not exist without it.

The instant the masked figure took it out, the IS unit on the unconscious girl disappeared as it should have.

' _He took out the core? What's he going to do with it?'_ the blond girl didn't understand what was going through its head, but one thing was for sure; it wasn't going to donate it to charity.

Just as she feared, it's claw-like hands gripped onto the round stone powerfully; and the core's strength eventually gave away, shattering it into pieces.

' _He destroyed it?!'_

It then continued to make its way towards the other downed IS pilot, but Charlotte stood over the IS pilot with her guns aimed at it threateningly.

"Stop. I won't let you do that. These are someone's life work. I won't let you trample all over it like that."

The Phantom Task operative stopped for a second and stared at her with its blank mask. Intimidating would be an understatement. Just what kind of face was behind that white mask?

She quickly turned to Ichika,

"Ichika, we need to get out of…"

But she paused when Ichika gently shoved her to the side with a shocked look on his face.

"Ichika?"

"I-It's you… You… you were there, during the 2nd Mondo Grosso finals…" Ichika couldn't disguise the shock in his voice.

The figure remained mute. Ichika could see its long white hair tied to a pony tail, swinging in the gentle sea breeze. It was the same as last time.

Ichika recalled to his past as he pointed his shaky finger at his new enemy,

"You kidnapped me when Chifuyu-nee was about to win the competition."

Not seeing any reaction from the masked enemy, he continued,

"Tell me! What are you after!"

But silence was all he got in return.

His confusion quickly turned into anger,

"If you hadn't intervened that day, she would have won the tournament! She would have been able to fulfill her dreams of becoming the best if it wasn't for you!"

"Ichika, don't!"

Charlotte's warning fell short as Ichika angrily rushed the masked figure.

Ichika reeled his energy sword back and swung down on its head with all his strength, but the masked figure grabbed it by the blade with its right hand.

His eyes widened in shock,

"What?! With just bare hands?!"

The opponent pushed the blade away, making Ichika lose balance. It followed up with a charged punch straight into Ichika's abdomen.

He braced for the pain, but it was unexpectedly excessive. As soon as his enemy's fist landed, its force travelled directly through his back, producing a small was as if the punch had the exact equal amount of force of his earlier strike. Almost making it seem like the enemy had absorbed the force of Ichika's initial strike.

Ichika's shield energy plummeted, and he found himself kneeling in front of his enemy, gasping for breath.

"Ichika!" Charlotte tried to make her way towards Ichika, but froze when the masked figure brought its sword to Ichika's neck.

"You coward! Using such underhanded methods!" she yelled angrily.

Their enemy heeded none of it, however. It suddenly raised its sword and pointed it at Charlotte.

' _What is he doing?'_

But she regretted contemplating on the thought when his sword transformed, once again, into a sniper rifle. It shot just past Charlotte's ear and into a large container just behind her.

The blond smirked in glee,

"Not so useful in close range, now is it?"

Or so she thought until she heard a sinister sound of liquid pouring out of the container behind her.

It had a sharp and almost addicting scent to it. Gasoline.

Ichika coughed,

"C-Charlotte… R-Run…"

The puddle of gasoline expanded rapidly, and eventually made its way to a nearby flame.

And then, what followed was a large blazing explosion.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"It's a miracle both of you managed to escape with minor injuries… Next time, think twice before you engage someone like Phantom Task with just the two of you."

"We understand…" Ichika and Charlotte sulked slightly under Chifuyu's unimpressed frown.

Yamada saw the depressed looks on her pupils,

"Please don't look so down! Orimura-sensei was deeply worried for your safety!" she smiled.

The raven-haired instructor crossed her arms and sighed.

"Anyway… show us your IS units. We'll have to send it in to repair if there's any significant damage."

"O-Okay." the two students did as they were told; Ichika handed his sister his bracelet, and Charlotte put out her necklace.

When Chifuyu reached out for Charlotte's necklace on her left hand, the girl flinched and let out a painful grunt.

Chifuyu immediately grabbed the blond's arm and pulled up her sleeve. There were large bruises and swelling around her wrist; it wasn't a simple twist, but it looked like someone had struck her it with a hammer.

"Woah, what's wrong with your wrist, Charlotte?" Ichika mentally winced when he saw it.

"The force of the sniper round was probably too strong for my wrists… even though I had my shield."

Chifuyu's ears perked at the words,

"Sniper rounds?"

The blond nodded, taking out something from her pocket,

"This was what hit against my shield. And it was from quite far away… the bullet managed to land first before the sound of the actual gun fire."

Charlotte gave her teacher the small metal chunk. Chifuyu examined it; it was a black, custom high-density anti-IS sniper round.

"This bullet… it's made from anti-IS material…"

"Chifuyu-nee…"

"I'm trying to think. Save it." Chifuyu quickly shook her brother off in her deep muse.

"It was him. The one who kidnapped me during the 2nd Mondo Grosso."

Perhaps this was the first time Chifuyu had ever shown emotion, let alone, shock. Her eyes widened as soon as the words left her brother's mouth.

"K-Kidnap you?" Charlotte seemed lost in the conversation, but decided to hold back asking.

Ichika nodded,

"The Phantom Task member we saw last night was the guy who kidnapped me during Chifuyu-nee's tournament finals a few years ago."

"I didn't know you had such a past… I'm sorry." Charlotte said carefully.

He smiled,

"Don't be. I wasn't trying to hide it. So it's okay."

"So what happened afterwards? Did it attack you again?" his sister probed.

He shook his head gravely,

"No… I think the explosion was just a diversion. He escaped in a chopper along with another IS."

"..." there was silence from the teacher.

"Orimura-sensei, is this Phantom Task member that dangerous?" Yamada asked shyly.

Chifuyu couldn't help but grin incredulously,

"Dangerous…? He was the only one I ever fought on equal footing besides Tabane."

A chill ran down Ichika and Charlotte's back at the revelation.

"No wonder I didn't stand a chance."

"But what does he want from us? Is he here to kidnap Ichika again?" Charlotte asked.

Chifuyu remained quiet. She seemed to have fallen deep into thought again.

"I don't think so… Because he let me go immediately after a few hours of kidnapping me." Ichika pointed out.

"Let you go? Why would he do that for?"

No one in the room knew the answer to that question; nor will they find it anytime soon.

Yamada, in the meanwhile, finished scanning their IS and listed out a few things,

"Alright, Dunois-san, as for your Revive, aside from your shield, there doesn't seem to be any major damage to your unit."

She turned to Ichika with a grave look however,

"But Orimura-kun, we'll need to take your unit in for extensive repair. At its current state, it can't even materialise properly."

"W-What? Are you sure?"

"Try deploying it." Chifuyu ordered.

Without hesitation, Ichika tried to deploy Byakushiki, but the enveloping light around him shattered soon after and nothing happened.

Ichika frowned in slight distraught,

"No way…"

His sister promptly nodded,

"So there you have it. Hand your Byakushiki over, Orimura."

"But we don't know when Phantom Task might show up again…"

"That's exactly the reason. What would you do if you aren't able to deploy Byakushiki at a desperate time?"

"But…"

The older woman understood the hesitant look on her little brother's face. Her decision was, nonetheless, unaffected.

"You're better off not relying on an incomplete power… or do you feel scared without your unit?"

A moment of realisation came upon Ichika, and then gave Chifuyu a fearless look,

"I'm not scared, Chifuyu-nee."

The boy obediently handed over his bracelet, eliciting a proud smile from his sister.

"Good… Now… the real problem is 'what if the girls find out about it?'"

"They'll probably freak out… But from a security perspective, I think we should at least inform them, since they are representative candidates…" Yamada suggested.

"-sigh- I'm going to get a headache." Chifuyu groaned.

Listening to all this in silence, Charlotte finally spoke up,

"Orimura sensei, please don't let them know!"

"Charlotte?" Ichika raised his brows at his blond friend's sudden determination.

"I'll protect Ichika. It's only right since it's my fault his unit is damaged…"

Ichika waved his hand with a smile,

"Nah, it wasn't your fault! Honestly, I-"

"No, it was. Please let me at least act as your guard… I won't be able to sleep if I don't do something…"

The boy groaned uncomfortable under Charlotte's intense pressure.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The first half of the school day ended, and the bell chimed, signalling the students to pack up and go for lunch.

In the meanwhile, Charlotte stared into her open palms with a serious expression.

' _I must protect Ichika… I have to take responsibility…'_

A sudden, loud voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Ichika! Which one do you like!"

Laura thrusted a magazine into Ichika's face; its contents filled with female undergarments; specifically striped ones.

 **Striped is best!**

"Wha-"

Houki, Rin and Cecilia also gathered around with looks of embarrassment on all their faces.

"Oi, Laura!"

"What are you doing showing that to him all of a sudden?!"

Cecilia quickly covered Ichika's eyes, who had previously glued his eyes onto the page,

"Ichika-san, close your eyes!"

Laura looked at them with a confused look, as if what she was doing was an obvious thing,

"I'm just trying to find out what boys like."

"What boys like?" they all repeated in unison.

The silver-haired girl smirked to herself and looked up in reminiscence.

"Indeed… Clarissa once told me..."

" _ **When a girl is in love, this concept called 'the panty flash event' arises occasionally. It is when a boy accidently catches a glimpse of her panties. Therefore, you must always arm yourself with panties that you wouldn't mind showing to your person of affection."**_

"Seriously, your advisor has a screw loose…"

Laura ignored and spread her arms out grandly,

"And these striped panties are supposedly the absolute best when it comes to boosting your likability!"

"W-Well… the design isn't bad…"

"That's true… I have the same kind too…"

Cecilia went to the corner of the room to make a quick phone call,

"Chelsea, I want to order a new underwear… the design; horizontal stripes…"

Ichika quickly stood up in denial,

"No, no, no, that's not how it works!"

"No. I am sure Kazuki would love these glorious object of affection, that is the striped panties, and then, his link to me as my bride will be set in stone." Laura seemed sure of it much to everyone's chagrin.

She turned to Charlotte,

"What kind of underwear do you like, Charlotte?"

The blond gave her a light smile,

"Laura, you're not supposed to talk about stuff like that in front of a boy. Besides, you won't know unless you ask Kazuki directly."

"Mmm… I see… Forgive me, Ichika."

The group laughed lightheartedly.

That reminded Houki of something,

"Now that you mention it, did any of you hear back from Kazuki?"

"No… nothing. I wonder if he's okay?" Rin pondered.

"I hope he hasn't gotten into any trouble…" Cecilia added.

A little more than 3 week had passed since the riot on the IS academy school grounds, and the group has had no form of communication with the blond boy.

"Chifuyu-nee specifically told us we aren't allowed to communicate with him until everything calms down… So, it would make sense if Kazuki didn't say anything."

Charlotte nodded in agreement,

"Ichika's right, guys. I'm sure he'll bounce around, hopefully next week. Things are looking quite calm as it is now, so he should be back soon…"

' _That being said, it's strange how Orimura-sensei doesn't seem to know much about Kazuki's situation… And this feeling of unease...'_

She shook her head in an attempt to snap out of her usual bad habit of thinking pessimistically.

' _No. Bad habits. He'll come back. He has to…'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **Prior to the IS academy headmaster's public announcement of Satoshi Kazuki's expulsion**

On the other side of Japan; resting in a forest corner, there was the Shinonono residence; the same as it has been for several years.

The genius scientist, Shinonono Tabane, was doing her usual thing; sitting on her intricate-looking spider-leg chair, staring at multiple screens of complex mathematical equation, and occasionally, the media coverage.

The place may not have changed, but the atmosphere seemed to have significantly. The absence of a certain blond seemed to have left a hollow presence in the air, and it reflected off of Tabane's dim amethyst eyes.

"Tabane-sama."

Her senses seemed to be impaired; or perhaps occupied from drowning herself in the walls of text and algorithms on her screen.

"Tabane-sama!"

She quickly snapped out of her work and turned to Chloe, who had been there watching for awhile.

"Hi, hi! Yes, Ku-chan?"

Chloe had been Tabane's servant for a few years and had took it upon herself to look after her master. The current state of her master now seemed unacceptable to her.

"Tabane-sama has not eaten or slept well in weeks… I worry that it will affect your health… I have made some pastries, please have some..."

All that Chloe got was a 'V' hand sign and a childish toothy grin from Tabane,

"As you can see, everyone's idol, Shinonono Tabane-chan, is still smart and beautiful as ever!"

"Tabane-sama!" Chloe crossed her arms angrily. This was always the attitude she got, and now, Chloe was having none of it.

Much to her relief, Tabane shrunk in submission,

"Okay… No need to get so angry, Ku-chan…"

She grabbed one of the croissants and began nibbling on it reluctantly. Chloe poured her a glass of water and sighed.

"What do you think that man would say if he saw your current state?"

Tabane chuckled, albeit slightly nervously,

"Kazu-chan wouldn't say anything… He must hate me so much…"

The platinum-haired girl's eyes twitched slightly. She had the urge to shout, but kept it within herself, for she was her respectful master.

There also seems to be a slight look of forfeit in her eyes,

"Maybe I should have told him to continue to look after Houki-chan… I always thought I was forcing it on him, but… I just didn't understand... He... deeply cares about her…"

She gulped at the last part; it seemed difficult for her to let it out into words.

Chloe didn't react; she recalled to the worried look on Kazuki's face the last time she saw him,

" _ **Is she eating well? Is she getting enough sleep?"**_

' _Tabane-sama… You're wrong… Even to this day, he still…'_

But she could clearly see Tabane was deeply hurt; it pained her to no end, but there was nothing she could do.

"Tabane-sama…"

Tabane quickly wiped a bit of tears off the corner of her eyes and smiled,

"Sorry Ku-chan… Making Ku-chan listen through my babbling… Thank you for the food! They were delicious."

The scientist brought her attention back on the screen, and Chloe withdrew the plate of pastries.

"Oh, and don't forget about Kazu-chan's next monthly maintenance. It should be coming up in a few week or so." she added.

"About that, Tabane-sama… There is a problem…" Chloe seemed to shrink uneasily.

"A problem?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **The present time**

Chifuyu and Yamada had returned to the teachers lounge after inspecting Byakushiki and sending it into the maintenance department.

"So, have you figured out the cause of it not deploying?" the raven-haired instructor asked.

"I found out that one of the prototypes we had been planning to import had an option to quantum shift more effectively…" Yamada explained.

"That must be the problem… It must have been destroyed when they blew the cargo up."

Yamada continued in detail,

"It went out of control then and that had some kind of impact on Orimura-kun's unit. Luckily, the impact was only temporary and it's back to normal already, save for the physical damages…"

Chifuyu took a sip of her warm coffee, and sighed.

"But I'm glad Orimura-kun is okay! Don't you think, Orimura-sensei?"

"His carelessness was the cause of this to begin with. He got what he deserved." Chifuyu crossed her arms and denied it.

The green-haired instructor's smile only widened.

"W-What…?"

"Nothing. Fufufu."

However, there was another topic of greater importance, and Chifuyu felt the need to address it.

"By the way, have you found out who was behind the attack?"

Yamada placed a finger on her lips and looked up in contemplation,

"There's was no connection with Phantom Task. They were just spies sent by the corporation."

The stoic instructor didn't seem convinced, but for now, she took it and finished the last sip of her coffee.

 **Knock Knock**

There was a knock on the door; which was strange because the teachers usually didn't have a need to knock, but Yamada rushed to get the door.

"Yes, yes! Coming!"

When she opened the door, Chifuyu saw the wildly look of surprise on her fellow colleague's face.

"Yamada, who is it?"

The question was answered immediately when a familiar scientist walked in.

Chifuyu also seemed surprised when she saw who it was,

"Tabane? What are you doing here?"

There was a fierce look on her face; and something told her that her friend was not in a good mood.

Tabane slammed her hands against the table surface in front of Chifuyu,

"What's the meaning of this, Chi-chan? Kazu-chan expelled from the academy?!"

She now understood the reason behind her anger, and proceeded to try and neutralise it,

"Calm down. The expulsion announcement you saw on the news was just to stop the riots and student withdrawals from the academy. He's away on a month-long vacation."

"Don't lie to me, Chi-chan. Ku-chan found out even before the public announcement was made."

The raven-haired teacher didn't seem surprised. She already new, ahead of time, that this would happen, but at the heat of the moment, she was at a loss for words.

There was a desperate look on the scientist's face, and Chifuyu clearly saw it,

"Where is he, Chi-chan?"

Yamada felt the tension build up, but she could do nothing but to look towards her senior instructor with a worried look,

"Orimura-sensei…"

Tabane raised her voice this time, grabbing her friend by her hands,

"Where's Tom! Please, Chi-chan, tell me!"

There was heavy silence in the room; it felt suffocating for poor Yamada in the room.

Chifuyu finally yielded, breaking the silence,

"Phantom task… but I hope that's just me being crazy."

"What?! Phantom Task? Why would Kazu-chan…"

Yamada finally squeezed in and began explaining to Tabane,

"As you may already know, Satoshi-kun is in the UN blacklist, and is most likely being pursued by the government…"

She continued, remembering what Chifuyu had told her,

"Orimura-sensei saw the leader of Phantom Task in the academy, talking to Satoshi-kun about it. They offered him support and said they'll protect him from the government."

"That's not all; those bastards threatened to hurt the people around him if he didn't agree to join." Chifuyu spat angrily.

"Plus Dunois-san and Huang-san were being withdrawn from the school because their parents found out that a wanted criminal was attending the same school." Yamada added grimly.

The scientist mused to herself, quickly connecting the dots,

"So he had no choice… He had to leave the academy one way or another..."

The amount of thought and consideration it must have taken Kazuki; experiencing all these hardships, all she did was cut ties with him and hurt him; and the thought broke her heart.

"We need to find him." It was simple but serious, coming from Tabane. She was awfully determined, more than she has been in her life.

"I've already had the German intelligence start looking for him. But no luck so far." Chifuyu mentioned.

"There's no way they'd be able to find him…" Tabane stated in a low voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Kazu-chan's name was something I had to make for his documents to enter the academy… It's not his real name."

There seems to be a look of grief in Tabane's face; Chifuyu thought best not to pry.

"Then how can we find him? Don't you have some kind of tracking device on him or something?"

"A tracking device…?" Yamada sweatdropped.

Tabane nodded,

"The phone I gave him should have it but for some reason, it's showing that Kazu-chan is still in the academy-"

She stopped when Chifuyu produced a black flip-phone from her pocket,

"The student council president gave this to me a few weeks ago after Kazuki left. She found it left open in his room."

"... So that's why…" Tabane bit her lips in frustration.

"There's no need to rush things… We'll find him. It's best we don't do anything rash." Chifuyu said.

But there was a look of anxiety in the usual happy-go-lucky face; Tabane shook her head.

"No, you don't understand… Kazu-chan needs his monthly maintenance of his power core."

"A monthly maintenance?"

"There's only a week left until he starts getting the adverse symptoms… If he doesn't get his power core maintained for another month..."

Tabane looked at her friend straight in the eyes and there was genuine fear in her amethyst eyes,

"Kazu-chan is going to die…"

"What…?" Chifuyu's eyes widened in shock; this was certainly something she wasn't aware of.

"That's why, we need to hurry up and find him. There's no time to waste."


	27. IS S2 Chapter 7

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for the old readers (if you are still here) sticking around to read this fanfiction; it's been a year already; and it makes me think that this year had gone by pretty quickly. I would also like to thank new readers who are just coming in to check this out, and I hope this fanfic will be worth your while.**

 **I apologise, once again, the chapters are taking approximately a month. Just overwhelmed by a lot of assignments, etc... I have my exams coming up in a month too, so I am very very busy.**

 **We have a lot of stuff happening this chapter, so make sure you read carefully! Also, you might notice, that season 2 has a lot less canon elements than season 1 of my fanfic. This is because I didn't like the season 2 of the anime (it was awful in my opinion), so I will be kind of leading the story in a different direction, but will still remain true to the IS universe of course.**

 **I also edited chapter 15 -final- (S1) to make it a little less cringey and cheesy. I don't know what was wrong with me when I wrote it, seriously.**

 **Oh and, I will be making this my final chapter. Too lazy to write anymore. If you want to do a continuation, go ahead.**

 **April fools. As if. Dream on.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 7**

Isolated in an empty, windowless room, a blond figure sat on the edge of his bed, his head dipped down lifelessly. The room was deathly silent; all that could be heard was the flickering sound of the bulb overhead.

There was a knocking on his door, but he failed to respond to it. A short, raven-haired girl, much like Chifuyu, walked in with a look of deep concern.

"I-Is everything okay? Vash-san…?" M spoke carefully.

The blond's head slowly tilted up and matched her brown/amber eyes with a glare. For a second, it looked like he wanted to shout at her, but he simply closed his eyes and dropped his head.

"...It's not 'Vash-san'... It's… Kazuki."

Denial. A state of mind most unstable and stressful; the expression on the girl's face suggested that she understood. However, it didn't mean she liked the mixed emotions of hesitation in the boy's eyes.

"Please… Vash-san… You have to come to your senses! You heard what Squall told you! You're not-"

"Madoka - no… M was it...? Just... leave me alone…"

"But Vash-sa..."

"Get. OUT!" Kazuki finally growled out in a louder voice, eliciting a slight jump from the girl. That was her queue to do as she was told and so she left. Little did she know, those words weren't directed at her.

The door to his room closed, and once again, he was left alone.

The mysterious ghosts stared lifelessly at him with their bloody eye sockets; the room was filled with them.

"Stop looking at me…"

The apparitions did not react as per usual.

Anger riling up inside him, he muttered again,

"I said stop looking at me…"

Their stares made him excessively uncomfortable. To him, their soul-less gaze felt like sharp pricks of blame, spite, and pity; it was finally getting to him.

He finally exploded and rose to his feet, screaming out in uncontrolled rage,

"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU DAMNED THINGS!"

He knocked over a small coffee table, spilling the bottles of strange pills all over the floor. When he observed his surroundings again; it was a mess. Dozens of empty vodka and pill bottles scattered all over the floor.

Kazuki panted, and momentarily, he panicked when he started to see everything in red. He quickly took out a fresh new bottle from the drawer under his bed and threw a pill into his mouth. He then took the bottle of vodka sitting around and took several gulps.

Having his temper finally wear down, he sat back onto his bed.

Kazuki brought his knees to his chest and hid under his arms,

"I'm not 'Vash'... I'm Kazuki… my name's Satoshi Kazuki..."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

It was, yet again, quiet in the Shinonono residence. The birds were around for a morning choir. They sang the songs of not the happy days, but the wistful whispers for what remained.

But the genius scientist would not be able to hear it; enclosed in her work chambre in her spider-leg chair. Her eyes reflected the great walls of equations and other gibberish only she could understand and were tracing through them, fast.

"It's almost done… Tom… Just a few more months…"

As always, Chloe stood not too far away, watching.

' _So Tabane-sama had managed to finish the schematics already… I guess I must start gathering the necessary components...'_

She prepared to leave the room, but stopped when Tabane called,

"Ku-chan?"

"Yes, Tabane-sama? I will just be leaving to gather the necessary components for the new power core…"

For some reason, it seemed like her master didn't call her for that reason. Chloe could see Tabane's gaze fall away from the screen and into empty space.

Such look of regret; it confused Chloe.

"Tabane-sama, is there something wrong?"

"Ku-chan… do you think…"

She seemed to dwell upon on her own thoughts for a few seconds, but the melancholic expression was clearly there on her face.

"Do you think it was a mistake inventing the IS…?"

All hell broke loose within Chloe's conscience; the vigor was absent from her tone of confidence, charisma, and liveliness she had once retained.

"What… What are you saying, Tabane-sama?"

"Do you think society would have been better off without the IS? Do you think Tom would have been able to live a better life if I didn't invent it?"

"The introduction of the IS technology was a staggering development in human society! Why do you say such a thing?!" Chloe yelled.

She then noticed in the corner of Tabane's screen; there were a couple news articles with the headlines;

 **Tensions continue to grow in the heart of Russia since the civil war**

 **Apeiron Project; unexplained mysteries, culprits most likely still at large**

 **Is the government becoming corrupt? 10 ways to spot a corrupt government**

"Tabane-sama, don't look at those garbage!"

She quickly walked over to her master's console and closed it all down.

"...you'll soil your eyes." Chloe added.

Tabane leaned back on her chair and sighed.

"The civil war… could it have been avoided?"

The platinum-haired girl groaned uncomfortably, but explained honestly,

"I'm afraid it was inevitable… The constant abuse towards the citizens by corrupt UN members and the Russian government was eventually going to lead to a civil war."

Her demeanor quickly changed in desperation,

"But that was years ago! The UN and the Russian government had since reformed and are now trying to fix things! And-"

"They went corrupt because I gave them the IS units in the first place…" Tabane frowned sadly.

"No! The Alaska Treaty forced you to distribute the units equally all around the world! It wasn't your fault, Tabane-sama!"

"That's not all! Even the Apeiron Project! Because of what I created; he was subjected to so much torture and is now unable to live healthly and normally with his power core! And it's all my fault!"

"That man does not think like that! Tom does not blame you for any of that!"

The scientist sighed, then let out a sincere grin,

"That's because, you see, Tom is too kind. Even though I made him a cyborg and forced him to live, he'd always just look at me with those gentle smiles…"

"You must stop this self-inflicted guilt. This will help neither you nor that man." Chloe begged.

Her servant's word didn't come through; to Tabane, they sounded like pretty words.

' _But in the end; it's undeniable that none of this would've happened if I didn't invent the IS.'_ Tabane thought to herself.

For the next few minutes, Tabane stopped working; she couldn't. She was overwhelmed with negative emotions; her body didn't listen.

"Tabane-sama…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Everything was, in the meanwhile, all well and fair in the grounds of the IS academy. The afternoon classes had finished without any problem, and the students all retired for the day. But someone remained alone in the tech lab, all the lights turned off except for the overhead spotlight in the corner of the lab.

A girl sat in front of an incomplete IS unit, in front of multiple screens of its readings. Her bright turquoise hair stopped just above her shoulders and she wore a pair of mechanical hairpins on either side of her head.

She pressed some buttons on her console, and the IS unit obeyed to its command, its arms moving and its weapon shifting. But she knew something was off.

"The response of each drive part is bad..."

The girl turned her attention to one of the screens with crazily fluctuating graphs,

"The aptitude level of the core isn't rising either… Is it the wrong type for the job?"

For a long hard minute, she glued her eyes to the readings, but eventually gave in and put the console to sleep mode.

"Sigh… Might as well go home and watch anime or something…"

The girl walked off down the corridor, failing to notice another girl leaning back against the wall nearby, watching her with worried eyes. She had a hairstyle and colour similar to hers, almost as if they were siblings.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **The next day…**

"Yahoo! Orimura-kun, Shinonono-san!"

A fellow classmate approached Ichika and Houki while they were conversing.

"Oh, Mayuzumi-san, what are you doing in class 1?" Ichika asked.

"You see, I've got a bit of a favour to ask."

"A favour for me and Ichika?" Houki cocked a brow curiously.

The classmate raised her glasses,

"That's right. My older sister works at a publishing company, and I was wondering if she could interview you two exclusively since you have your own IS'."

She also handed them the magazine she had kept hidden behind her back.

Houki took it and opened it for both of them to see. But she wasn't seeing anything remotely related to the IS.

"Um… does this magazine have anything to do with the IS?"

"Mmm? What, have neither of you done this kind of work before?"

"What do you mean?" Now, Ichika was confused.

"You know, some people with personal IS units actually do a lot of celebrity stuff. They're almost like idols, but mainly do modelling…" she explained.

Ichika turned to his childhood friend,

"Is that true Houki?"

"Don't ask me! I don't know!" she seemed slightly flustered when he asked suddenly.

Out of nowhere, Rin butted in with a confident smirk,

"If it's modelling, I can show you a photo of me modelling!"

Ichika chuckled nervously,

"Actually, I'll decline."

"How come?!"

"Knowing you, I'm sure you're really cocky in the photos…"

"Why you… Fine, look at one and see for yourself! Look at one now! Look at them now!" Rin fired away like spitfire, shoving her phone into Ichika's face.

Ichika furrowed a brow in doubt, but nonetheless, brought his eyes onto the phone screen. He was surprised to see a cute Rin in her cool, summer outfit, winking at the camera.

"Hmm. It's not bad."

That seemed to have increased her confidence even further, she continued to look through a whole album,

"See? See? And this one… this one's from the last summer event and..."

The school bell rang in the midst of the conversation, but of course, Rin didn't care, or just didn't hear it, so she continued on by herself with her encyclopedia of modelling photos.

The classmate with the glasses waved them goodbye and retired,

"I'll be back after the class! Make sure you two think about it!"

Rin was still swiping through her album, searching for the best shot of herself,

"And check this out- Ouch!"

A light fist came down to greet the top of the bragging girl's head.

"Ouchie!"

"Go back to your own class." Chifuyu withdrew her hands and made her way towards the front of the class, Rin walking off rubbing her lump on her head.

"Alright. Today, I will be talking about one of the most important things to know about being an IS pilot. Morality."

The class moaned questioningly. The topic didn't seem to pique their interests.

Expecting the reaction, Chifuyu elaborated,

"Now, you might all think this isn't really important, but you'd fail the academic year faster than you can yawn with that attitude."

A couple pictures projected themselves against the white board, and they were instances of war and chaos.

"Many of you probably know, but these two pictures here represent - no; it is the premonition of what happens when your morality strays off as an IS pilot, or just anyone affiliated with the technology."

With her pointing stick, she slapped the tip against the images,

"The Apeiron Project, and the Russian civil war."

There was a sudden uproar of murmurs around the class, getting a few nodding of understanding and seriousness.

The instructor quickly shushed them and continued,

"What do you think happens when you give a rich person the IS know-how and its technology?"

There was no answer, nor any hands raised.

"Well, it's simple. They get curious, but in the wrong way. They start going off experimenting on anything they can get their hands on. But with the case of the Apeiron Project; it was unfortunately the young male demographic."

Grim looks were present in the students' faces.

"According to reports and the evidence provided, it was said that the primary goal of the project was to artificially create the strongest male in the world. To change the female dominant society."

Chifuyu's expression quickly went dark,

"We may now live in a society dominated by women and men may feel oppressed, but that is absolutely not a reason for such atrocity." she ended coldly.

It was the end of spring, and nearing summer, but it felt like winter had come early to greet the students as the room felt chilly with Chifuyu's last remark.

Regardless, she continued,

"... Moving on… we have the Russian civil war just a few month after the Alaska Treaty. This is a fine example of what happens when people with power go corrupt. Who would've ever thought that the UN leaders would resort to such oppressive political practice with the Russian government."

"Wasn't there a big income gap in Russia at the time?" one of the students raised a hand and asked.

"There indeed was. Only the mega-corporations and the political figures were able to afford the IS technology. Then they thought it was a good idea to use that to subjugate the poorer working families in the country and do as they please. So, civil war was inevitable."

"But eventually, there was a terrorist attack at the UN headquarters wasn't there? I heard Phantom Task was involved. And everything sort of stopped from there..."

Chifuyu nodded,

"That's right. It came as a big surprise for both the government and the UN, and ended up sustaining a lot of damage. This was their wake up call, and had a reform shortly after."

"So, are Phantom Task good people?" one of them asked.

"No. What you all need to remember is that Phantom Task isn't a voluntary group. They are paid mercenaries. To them, bystanders mean nothing. As long as they get paid, they will do anything to finish their job. And that job happened to be the destruction of the UN headquarters."

She sighed,

"A lot of innocent lives were lost that day, even the lives of UN workers who weren't involved in the corruption."

The students all took in the information seriously. These were important reminders for the people working in the IS industry to maintain good morale.

"So, as IS pilots, you are responsible for the actions you decide to take. If you choose to go down the wrong path like those people I talked about; then I expect you to prepare yourselves to deal with the equal consequences." Chifuyu concluded.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

With the school day coming to an end, the classes were lively, brimming still with the students packing their stuff up.

They shared a few gossip amongst each other as they left the class.

"Did you guys also have that class about morality from Orimura-sensei?"

"My goodness, she was scary about it."

"It was a good lecture. Shows how important our morality is in the IS community."

"By the way, did you hear about the upcoming event?"

"A tournament for only those who possess a personal IS unit, right?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I heard Kanzashi-san from our class will be participating."

"Eh? But I thought her unit wasn't ready yet?"

"I hope she'll make it in time…"

The girl in question slightly perked her ears to pick up the earlier conversation and let out a sigh.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Hey, Houki…"

"What is it?" she grunted, practicing her swings.

"What are we going to do about Mayuzumi-san's request… about that interview." Ichika asked.

"Of course we'll decline. It's against my policy to be put out on display like an object."

"That's what I figured…"

As if on queue, their fellow classmate, Mayuzumi walked into the dojo with a waving hand.

"Yahoo! I'm back! So did you guys decide?"

Ichika walked over to her to kindly decline,

"You see… about that, Houki was-"

Suddenly, the girl whipped out a pair of fancy tickets,

"Ta-da! Just in case you lack the incentive, you'll get a free dinner invitation to a 3-course meal."

She stealthly sent Houki a wink,

"...as a pair, of course."

"As I was saying… Houki doesn't-"

Houki eyed the pair of tickets fiercely.

"We'll take it." she took the tickets out of the girl's hand.

"That settles it then! I'll let you guys know the date and location later." she was then off her way.

Ichika gave his stubborn childhood friend a weird look,

"Houki… what happened to your policy…"

"I-I'm just being a bit of a flexible thinker, that's all…"

She stared at the tickets with a grin,

' _Besides… he would've told me to take it for the both of us.'_

The boy only gazed at her in oblivion,

"Flexible, huh?"

He earned a poke on his cheek with Houki's wooden sword,

"Got any problems?"

"No… If you're okay with it, then it's okay with me…"

Houki mustered up her courage,

"Alright… Then we are going to this dinner, aren't we?"

"Sure. Why not? Since I'm also getting interviewed…"

Her expression brightened,

"I see… good! That's good!"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

" **Give me his location!"**

" **No! I'll never tell you!"**

" **I see… then you leave me no choice…"**

" **That's far enough!"**

Lying on her stomach on her bed, Kanzashi pulled over the blanket over her head and immersed herself onto a screen of her smart phone.

" **There's nothing to be afraid of. Just leave everything to me."**

' _I believe that someday… he'll come for me…'_

" **Are you okay?"**

" **Yes…"**

" **That's a relief… here, take my hand."**

' _Someone who will pay attention to me and save me…'_

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Houki and Ichika sat in a large apartment living room, looking rather unnerved. Perhaps it was all the expensive looking paintings or furnitures.

A woman in her mid 20s walked into the room with the resemblance of a certain classmate with glasses,

"Hi there! I'm Nagisako Mayuzumi, the assistant editor of 'Infinite Stripes.' Thank you for coming!"

"Orimura Ichika."

"Shinonono Houki…"

"Alright, Iet's start with our interview- Orimura-kun, what are your thoughts on being put in an all-girl school?"

"Mm… there's not enough bathrooms I can use, so it's a bit of a hassall…"

The interviewer laughed out loud,

"You're just as my little sister described!"

"I… see…?"

She turned to Houki,

"Now, Shinonono-san, I wanted to ask you a question about your sister… how do you feel about receiving a personal unit from your sister?"

Houki hesitated to answer as she didn't want to feel like exposing Tabane a little,

"I'm grateful for my sister… Even though I showed my disdain against her in the past, it was all my misunderstanding and I would like to thank her once again…"

"Good, good… I'm sure you're sister will be very happy to hear that. And I speak from experience!"

' _It's nice to see Houki talk about Tabane-san like that. She never would have said anything before, but she changed…'_ Ichika watched her proudly as her grin grew a little.

"Have you ever considered being a candidate for the IS representative of our country?"

"I've actually been offered many times already, but at the moment, I'm not interested in becoming one…"

"Alright… That's fair… Now… I want to talk about a former IS student who was expelled a few weeks back… Satoshi Kazuki was his name…"

Ichika and Houki flinched at the mention of his name.

"I heard that you were both very close friends with him until he was expelled because… you know… the nuclear explosion off the coast of Japan last year summer-"

"He was our friend and he still is." Ichika interrupted, raising his voice a tad bit.

"But Satoshi-kun was marked by the UN blacklist, and if you look on the web, a lot of people are calling him a terrorist. Possibly a member of Phantom Task too…"

Houki stood up from her seat and almost slammed her hand against the surface of the coffee table,

"Kazuki is NOT a terrorist!"

There was silence in the room from the sudden outburst; even Ichika wasn't expecting it.

Houki finally noticed the surprised looks on their faces and sat back down.

"...I want to make this clear while we're on the topic… He saved us. He risked his life to prevent a nuclear disaster from happening…"

"Then what exactly happened?" the interviewer probed curiously, she had already taken her notebook out.

But the two youngster both shrunk.

"We aren't allowed to say anything beyond that since we're under strict confidentiality rules."

"Oh, I see… that's a shame…"

"But all people need to know is the fact that he wasn't responsible for the nuclear explosion." Houki ended with a sigh; it was certainly tiring to talk about such a heavy topic.

"Orimura-kun? It looks like you also have something to say."

Sure enough, Ichika raised his eyes to match the level of his interviewer; there was a look of strong trust in his eyes, never wavering for a second.

"It's bold, but I agree with Houki. Kazuki doesn't deserve this treatment."

The grim topic had taken a toll on the interviewer herself, so she decided to take a step back,

"Okay, okay! Let's move on to the next topic…"

Ichika and Houki nodded wholeheartedly in agreement.

"So, Orimura-kun and Shinonono-san, can you tell me which one of you are stronger?"

The boy instantly shrunk into himself while Houki declared flatly,

"I am."

"Is that true?"

"Well… yeah…" Ichika replied uneasily.

"My, isn't that a problem as a hero?" she teased.

Ichika looked down; he seemed serious.

"I'm not anything like that at all… the only true hero I know is…"

"Ichika." Houki squeezed his arm lightly to prompt his silence, and he obeyed, remembering that he was in an interview.

"I-I see… well thank you very much; I think I've held you two up long enough! Those dinner invitations you got from my sister were from me. I hope it'll be worth your while." the interviewer said as she closed her notebook.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Man~ that was a nice meal! Haven't had anything like that in ages."

"Mm. As expected of a restaurants for the elites; it's in a league of its own."

Finishing up their interview and a quick photoshoot for the magazines, the two were walking down a park late in the evening, making their way back to the academy.

Ichika couldn't hide the smile off his face,

"Today was unexpectedly fun. I've never really done an interview or a photoshoot before."

Houki couldn't disagree,

' _That's true… the interview may have had a rocky start, but overall, it was refreshing for a change… especially spending time alone with Ichika.'_

She let a comfortable smile adorn her expression as she drowned herself in the night sky full of stars,

"Say, Ichika, how long has it been since we were out like this to do something together?"

"It was probably back when we were in kindergarten… you know… before you moved. What's with you all of a sudden? You're looking a lot like Kazuki when he's in deep thought." Ichika recalled.

"Oh, it's nothing…"

Contrary to her words, as her childhood friend had mentioned, she was in a train of thought in self-reflection,

' _Ichika and I are childhood friends… I've known and liked him for as long as I can remember…'_

An image of Kazuki's smile in her slowly began to fade. What was now left in her conscious was nothing. Null.

She grinned to herself wistfully,

' _I wonder if I was finally able to get over it… Maybe it's because I haven't seen him for almost a month…'_

Houki sighed, changing the subject of her thought,

"So, how were things like before kindergarten? I imagine Orimura-sensei was just as strict as she is to you right now."

The boy fell silent, and for a second, Houki thought there was something she said that she shouldn't have.

He finally replied with a puzzled look,

"Well… the thing is… I don't remember."

"You don't remember? Anything?" she cast him a doubtful look; sure, it was impossible to recollect every single details of one's childhood, but to not remember anything was a different story.

"It's weird. Whenever I try to think about my childhood I always go into this blank state-"

Just as the words left his mouth, Ichika stared into empty space; indeed, he was blanking out.

"Oi. Oi, Ichika!"

Ichika's eyes lit up into life again,

"Oh- sorry. -sigh- you see? Like that… It's like my brain shuts down for a second."

"That doesn't sound… safe… How long have you had this for? You sure you don't have to consult a doctor?"

"You don't have to look so worried, Houki! Besides, Chifuyu-nee said it was something I was born with and said it was nothing serious."

There were still some things that bugged her a little, but since Chifuyu already knew about it, she believed it was nothing too serious.

"Anyway, it's really late, we should hurry back-" Ichika suddenly stopped when he saw something, and Houki bumped into his back.

"Oof! Hey, why'd you stop all of a sudden?

Down the dimly lit street, there stood Chifuyu, watching them with her overshadowed eyes.

"Chifuyu-nee?"

Houki noticed what he was looking at and thought strangely to herself,

' _Orimura-sensei? What's she doing all the way out here?'_

"No… I am you, Orimura Ichika." Chifuyu muttered in a low tone; a tone much different from how it usually is.

"Huh?"

When the two took a closer look, it wasn't Chifuyu, but a different girl who looked almost identical; save for the shorter hair.

"You're not Orimura-sensei! Who are you?!" Houki demanded.

The Chifuyu look-alike smirked,

"My name is… Orimura Madoka."

Their eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

"Orimura... Madoka… you say?"

"I guess this will be the first time we see each other. But I believe you've already met my colleague back when you stole Satoshi Kazuki from us."

"Steal Kazuki back…? Could it be? Phantom Task?!"

Madoka then reached down to her waist and took out a gun,

"Orimura Ichika… In order for me to remain as myself..."

A flash of sadness crossed her expression,

"...and to avenge that man… I will be taking your life!"

M fired off her pistol, but Houki reacted quickly,

"Ichika, watch out!"

She pushed him out of the way and the bullet slipped right past between them.

"Tch, such futile efforts."

Houki saw the girl's aim fall onto Ichika; it was too late to activate her personal unit. She wasn't going to make it.

"Die."

"Ichika!"

A shot fired and the sound echoed through the clear night sky.

Ichika had braced for the pain, but it never came. For a second, he thought he was dead.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Madoka's expression showing a mixture of pain and shock. She collapsed in the next second revealing Chifuyu standing just behind her with a taser gun.

"Orimura-sensei!"

They were surprised to see their instructor.

"C-Chifuyu-nee? What are you doing out here?"

The older woman didn't seem at all impressed,

"That's my line. What do you think you're doing past the curfew hours?"

"W-We were just coming back from an interview… then we got ambushed by her…" Houki pointed at the unconscious girl on the floor.

"Chifuyu-nee, what's going on? Why's Phantom Task here?"

His older sister didn't respond; she walked over to the girl on the floor and picked the girl up.

"I will be taking her back to the academy for questioning. You two, go back to your rooms immediately."

"Chifuyu-nee."

She turned around when her brother called.

"Is there someone else other than me...? Like a sister?" Ichika asked.

The raven-haired woman stared at Ichika intently; trying to decypher the expression on his face.

"You're the only one." she finally answered before walking off into the distance.

Ichika's gaze focused on the unconscious girl. Something told him she was important. A gut feeling. It had never felt so strong in his life.

Seeing the grave look on his face, Houki could only watch the whole scene in silence.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

 **3 days later…**

"Eh? Caught a member of Phantom Task? Are you sure, Ichika-san?"

Much like Cecilia, the reactions of the other girls were somewhat similar.

"She mentioned something about us stealing Kazuki back from them. I'm sure."

Charlotte rested her chin on her hand in muse,

"She must have been referring to when Kazuki was trapped in the crystal."

"There's no mistaking it then, she must be from Phantom Task." Laura concluded.

Rin, however, wore an annoyed frown,

"The problem is, why was she trying to kill you?! They tried to kidnap you during Chifuyu-san's Mondo Grosso. You told us they let you go. But why come back now and try to kill you?! It just doesn't make sense!"

"Maybe Phantom Task made a mistake and decided to let Ichika go. But came to realise that was a mistake and now they want to get rid of the witness." Houki suggested, but there were no nods of comprehension.

"Can't we go ask her ourselves?"

Ichika shook his head,

"Chifuyu-nee strictly forbade anyone from making contact with her. I don't know why, but she seemed pretty serious about it."

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

I would call what happened the night 3 days ago a lucky breakthrough. I don't know what Phantom Task was thinking, but one of their members managed to slip up and get captured on IS academy grounds.

I made sure the girls didn't get anywhere near her, and especially Ichika. He seemed rather inquisitive after witnessing this girl. I don't blame him though. She looks exactly like me.

But that wasn't important right now. We captured a member of Phantom Task. I needed to find out where Kazuki was; to find out if he really did join Phantom Task…

But she hadn't been, in the least, cooperative this past 3 days.

"I'm not asking you again. Where's Satoshi Kazuki?"

"I thought I already told you I do not know any man by that name."

"Listen here, little girl, I know he's with Phantom Task. Your leader by the name, Squall, boldly walked into the academy to talk to him a couple weeks back."

She didn't say a word.

"I don't know why you terrorists are keeping him there, but if he doesn't see Tabane anytime soon, he's going to die. He's not going to be much of use to your organization."

To my great annoyance, her expression remained neutral and repeated the same thing she had been saying this past few days,

"I have nothing to say to you, Orimura Chifuyu. You know who I want."

"You're kidding yourself if you think you're getting it."

I left the room, leaving the girl with her annoying smirk.

 **Ring Ring**

A phone call; it was from Tabane.

"What is it?"

" **Well? Did you manage to find out anything?"**

"She's tight lipped. The truth serum in her food didn't work either."

" **What are you still doing wasting time, Chi-chan? You know what she wants! Give it to her!"**

"Do you understand what it'll mean if she says anything unnecessary to him? I've spent my whole life trying to protect Ichika from that."

" **I don't think Chi-chan understands. Kazu-chan's health is deteriorating every second we waste. Is Chi-chan willing to sacrifice Kazu-chan just to protect I-kun from the truth?"**

"..."

" **It's time, Chi-chan… I-kun deserves to know the truth. He's mature enough to know who he really is."**

For several long minutes, I just stood there holding the phone against my ears in complete silence.

Was this really the only way…?

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

"Arghh! Now that you've told me, I'm so curious!" Rin gritted her teeth in frustration.

Laura nodded,

"That's true... I wonder what they'll do with her…"

"Nothing. The academy will probably send her to the government for a trial. She is a war criminal after all." Cecilia pointed out.

That being said, Ichika didn't like the idea. While he agreed on sending her in for her crimes, she had the answers to his life long question.

Houki saw the complicated look on her childhood friend's face,

"What do you think, Ichika?"

He sighed,

"Unfortunately, I can't go against my sister… If she wants her sent away, then it's her choice."

"I guess that's also true… it's Ichika's sister we're talking about…" Charlotte said, a slight chill running down her back at the thought.

"I wonder what Kazuki would've done in this situation." Ichika trailed off ponderously.

Cecilia giggled,

"Fufu. Kazuki-san most likely would've planted a bug on Orimura-sensei of some sort."

There was an atmosphere of unease for a second within the group.

"Speaking of which, where is he? It's been a month already."

"I don't know… I still haven't gotten in touch with him at all."

"Me neither…"

Laura rested her chin on her hand in thought,

"You don't think… he was captured by the government, do you?"

"Don't be silly! It's Kazuki! He's not stupid enough to get himself caught by those thugs."

"But where could he be? The IS Tournament is just around the corner too!"

Houki settled the group down,

"Just give him some time… I'm sure he'll make his appearance… soon… hopefully."

Everyone sensed the unease in her tone, but Houki knew she couldn't help it. Something inside her told her that there was something dreadfully wrong; but it was a baseless feelings of anxiety. She couldn't be sure.

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The echoing of the owls' hoots and the chirping crickets filled the night in the forest surrounding Shinonono residence.

Venturing through the mystical forest, Chloe, for a second, indulged herself in the peaceful atmosphere of the forest.

' _Only if Tabane-sama would come out to enjoy this beautiful atmosphere…'_

It came to her attention recently that Tabane had begun to show regret for introducing the IS technology to mankind. It was a sign of depression. The words "Tabane" and "depression" did not belong in a sentence together. Never could Chloe have imagined her master to be stricken with negativity, it still felt surreal.

Tabane had stopped going out of her room all together to devote herself completely in completing the prototype for Kazuki's power core.

But that was the least of their worries; they had yet to find his actual whereabouts, and it was a few days past a month since his last power core repairs.

' _Just where has this useless gump gone off to… leaving Tabane-sama like this…'_

Chloe made her way back to the residence and entered Tabane's work chambres.

"Tabane-sama, I have returned with some convenience store food you requested…"

As usual, the scientist had her eyes glued onto the screen.

"Thanks, Ku-chan. You can just leave it there by the quantum accelerator."

The platinum-haired girl wanted to say something, but decided against it. She sighed and set the plastic bag next to the machine.

 **Ring Ring**

Tabane's phone was ringing, but it seemed out of her reach.

Chloe walked over to it and picked it up.

"Ku-chan, who is it from?"

"It's an unregistered number…"

"Just ignore it then… It's probably another journalist…"

Chloe brought it up to her ear and responded,

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid Dr. Shinonono is busy at the-"

" **...it's me."**

It was Kazuki's voice, albeit, weak and tired.

Her eyes opened and widened like they've never before. She recognized the voice instantly.

"You-!"

" **Don't raise your voice."** he cut her off sharply, which surprised her.

Chloe turned around stealthily and saw that Tabane had not noticed anything. She was too focused on the development of the power core.

" **I don't want her to hear it. So go somewhere else where she won't hear you."**

Although she had the burning urge to scream at him then and there, there was a sense of seriousness in his tone.

She did as she was told and quietly left the building until she was outside in the front yard.

"You… do you understand the weight of your actions?! Join Phantom Task? Have you finally lost all reason?!" she couldn't hold back her anger any further, so she released her screams of rage through the phone in her hand.

However, his voice was interrupted with a painful grunt,

" **-grunt- Please… I need your help… Chloe."**

She was struck with silence. His plea for help; there was so much weakness in his voice, for a second she thought it wasn't the same person. What's more, he had called her by her name for the first time.

But she understood what the problem was.

"...it's your power core isn't it…"

" **...Yeah…"**

She looked behind her and saw nothing but an empty front yard. She then closed her eyes and faced forward.

"-sigh- Where are you right now…?"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

Chloe found herself in the reception of a luxury hotel; the air was filled with the scent of expensive colognes and perfumes. The wall, floor and ceiling were decorated with the most intricate designs of gold and silver; it almost felt like a church.

She walked up to the receptionist and seemed to recognize Chloe, much to her surprise.

"Miss Chloe Chronicle?"

"...Yes, that's me..."

The pretty woman gave her a smile; one without emotion and completely neutral,

"Miss Page is waiting for you in the VIP suite on the 45th floor."

Without another word, Chloe made her way to the lift and traversed up the tall skyscraper of a hotel. She noticed the lift was a transparent glass lift, and she could see the city of Tokyo lit up bright in the night with a bird's eye view.

When the lift opened, she turned around and saw a spacious living room. The kitchen was at the far corner of the flat, and adjacent to it was a wide glass panel with the view of the city.

A blond woman stood looking out the glass panel, and her eyes traced to a reflection of Chloe standing by the lift as it closed itself.

The woman turned around and gave her a welcoming grin,

"You must be Chloe Chronicle. Welcome."

Chloe remained silent. Something told the older woman that there was a hint of animosity coming from the shorter girl.

"Now don't look at me like that! Would you like something to drink, dear?"

"Miss Page…"

"Oh, my apologies. That's an alias. My name is Squall. The current leader of Phantom Task." Squall corrected.

It didn't seem like the name mattered,

"I'm just here to see Satoshi Kazuki."

Chloe's tone was cold, and emotionless. There were no room for familiarity.

"Scary, scary~ He's in the room at the far end of the corridor to your left. Whenever you're ready."

Chloe followed where Squall pointed and made her way down the short corridor. When she walked up to the door, she didn't hesitate for a single second and barged in.

Her feet accidently kicked some empty glass bottles that were lying on the floor in front of the door and rolled their way towards the feet of someone sitting on the edge of the bed.

She looked up and saw blond hair that had slightly lost colour under the dim light above his head. His face was covered by the length of his front hair, but it was Kazuki. Alive and in the flesh.

He raised his head, and when he saw Chloe's face, his expression brightened slightly,

"Hey… It's been awhile."

Her face fell into an angry frown and stomped her way towards the boy,

"You scoundrel! What are all these things on the ground?!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I said they were vitamins, would you?" he grinned jokingly.

But she was in no mood for any of it. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a half empty bottle of vodka and her frown deepened,

"You began drinking as well? And what is -"

She grabbed a glass bottle filled with strange pills and took one for herself,

"Sleeping pills?!"

Kazuki seemed conscious of it as well, his head hung low in shame, and his tone lower than usual,

"Give me a break… I think a little medication won't hurt."

She snorted incredulously

"Medication? Don't you understand it's fatal when you mix alcohol with it? You suicidal, good-for-nothing!"

"You should already know my body is different from normal people. This much is nothing to me." he justified simply.

Chloe didn't realise she was shouting, so she went on,

"Just look at you! I always thought…"

She paused. Her face contorting into a disappointed frown.

"I always thought so highly of you…" she whispered.

He didn't seem to have heard it as he took out another bottle from the drawer underneath the bed and reached for a pill, but Chloe quickly slapped it out of his hand.

"Stop it!"

Their eyes met, and Kazuki could see the concern in her eyes. For a second, Chloe looked deeply into the blond's eyes, and noticed something chilling.

The instant Kazuki saw the change in her expression, he quickly averted eye contact.

"Your eyes…"

He kept his head facing away, but Chloe already saw it. His blue eyes; once bright and full of life, were now dim.

The atmosphere was heavy; but it was soundless. Neither of them had made any comments.

The blond was the one to break it when he turned around with his usual laid back grin,

"It's not like you to be so worked up. What, now you're pulling that 'Tsundere' card on me? I'm telling you, it really doesn't suit you."

"This isn't the time for-"

There it was again; his smile. His skin was pale, and his eyes were colourless. Yet his smile was bright and warm.

"Don't worry. I haven't lost myself. Not just yet."

Her eyes widened; she could still see the burning determination, a small amber of hope, in his dim eyes. That was all she needed to know.

"... I see…" she sighed, unable to argue anymore.

Kazuki grunted suddenly,

"Ugh… now that you're here, can you please take a look at my power core… it's killing me."

The short girl produced a couple tools from her pockets and heaved another sigh,

"Don't be such a baby… I thought you said you were different from normal people?"

"Someone's finally learning to listen to other people, eh? Well isn't that a revolution..."

"Shut up and lie down on your back already."

"Yes, ma'am…"

 _ **Infinite Stratos**_

The two spent a couple hours in silence with Chloe tempering his arm, leg and power core, and Kazuki enjoying the peace of the silence.

"-sigh- I've re-adjusted the core metal frame back into place. I can't do anything about the overheat with my current tools. You'll have to come back to Tabane-sama's-"

"I can't go back."

"And leave your power core as it is? Don't be stupid."

"...? I really mean it. I'm not going back."

Chloe raised her hand in a motion to hit the blond, making Kazuki flinch slightly. But he continued seriously,

"If I go back now, I'm just going to cause trouble for you two. I'm a wanted criminal remember?"

"And you'd think Tabane-sama will easily let them find us?"

"I don't. But I'm not taking any chances…"

"-sigh- just come back. Tabane-sama will be overjoyed to see you too… We've almost finished making the new power core as well."

For a second, Kazuki gazed into the empty space with a thoughtful grin,

"So that's what you guy's have been doing… For someone like me…"

"I hope you're not misunderstanding anything here. I don't care if your core burns out or anything. I am only helping Tabane-sama because she'd be troubled if something happened to you."

"There you go again with your Tsundere act! That's cute."

He ruffled her hair adoringly, but his face paled when he realised what he was doing. He quickly withdrew his hand with a sweat drop and looked carefully at Chloe.

But there was no violent response, which felt alien to the boy since the usual response was a slap or a punch.

Chloe tried her best to suppress the blood from rising to her face. Luckily for her, she did well in hiding her face and the blond couldn't see.

"Anyway… If you really do care about Tabane-sama's feelings, come back to the Shinonono Residence. You don't have to be here."

"I told you. I'm not ready to return yet… Especially not now that I've caused a lot of trouble."

"Then I'll be staying here." Chloe stated suddenly.

"What?"

"Until you've finished whatever you need to do, I'll stay with you so that I can make sure you're power core doesn't kill you."

Kazuki couldn't help but grin at the girl's stubborn nature. But he shook his head, nonetheless.

"No. You can't stay here."

"Why?!"

"If you're not going to be by Tabane's side, then who will?"

"That's…"

"At times like these, Tabane needs someone close by her side to emotionally support her."

Chloe remembered, the sad look on Tabane's face as she read those articles about the IS. He was right. Tabane was in a depression. It was so bad to the extent where it affected her ability to work.

' _But… isn't that the same for you…?'_

Despite remembering this fact, she looked into Kazuki's eyes with such sympathy, it surprised her.

The blond seemed to have noticed her worried look and waved it off,

"Don't look at me like I need 'emotional support'. Ugh… so cringey."

"I don't understand… Why you'd go so far as to join Phantom Task. What's the point?"

Kazuki grinned, expecting the question to come at him. So he opened his mouth to speak his thoughts.


	28. IS S2 Chapter 8

**A/N: Once, again, I must apologize for uploading after 3-4 months, and I realise; that is ridiculous. You could say I'm burnt out after exams; May was a brutal month... Again, I will not abandon this fanfic; I will see this through to the end.**

 **But you're not here to listen to me complain.**

 **From this chapter, you should be able to figure out the true story behind the characters and what's really going on. If you read back a dozen chapters, you should be able to fit all the puzzle pieces together for the big picture because the pieces are all there.**

 **I'm going to say that the story is probably going to finish in about 4-5 chapters, so I hope you're still with me on this journey, because the last chapter will be worth it, I hope.**

 **If there are any PMs I've missed, please do send them to me again, and I'll be happy to address any questions you have.**

 **Lastly, I sincerely thank you for all your support thus far, and I hope to see you in the review section.**

 **I'll shut up now.**

* * *

 **Infinite Stratos S2 Chapter 8**

After a busy school day, as usual, Ichika made his way back to his room wearily. He rested his head against the wall, cursing the excessive training schedule Tatenashi was giving him.

Funny enough, when he opened the door to his room, he found the same girl standing on the other side of the door,

"W-Woah! Tatenashi-san! Please, don't surprise me like that!"

Usually, she would begin with her teasing to annoy him, but this time, she had a concerned frown.

"Ichika-kun… you see… ummm…"

She quickly lowered her head slightly and placed her hands together in a gesture of plea.

"Please, look after my sister!"

"...huh?"

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Both sat on the edge of the beds, facing each other. Tatenashi pulled out her phone and projected an image of her sister for Ichika to see.

"Anyway… This is her."

Much like her older sister, the girl in the picture had ruby eyes, contrasting the short bright turquoise. She had a much passive look, reinforced by the pair of glasses resting on her nose.

"Her name's Sarashiki Kanzashi."

Ichika leaned in for a better view and hummed,

"Hmmm…"

"You see… she's sort of the, you know, quiet and moody type…"

"Okay…?"

Looking at Ichika's unresponsive expression, Tatenashi quickly backed herself up,

"But, she has skills! She's a representative candidate of Japan. You don't have a partner for the upcoming IS tournament yet, do you?"

"I don't, but…"

"And you've got to understand… Even though she's a representative candidate, she doesn't have a personal IS unit. Emm… because of Ichika-kun..."

"Huh? Why?"

"Kanzashi-chan's personal IS was made by the same developer that made Byakushiki. So all the workers were sent to work on Byakushiki, and hers got put back in the queue, so to say…"

Suddenly, Ichika felt a pang of guilt,

"Oh… Is that what happened…? I'm so sorry."

"So, I was really hoping that you'd pair up with Kanzashi-chan in the tag-team tournament…"

She held up her fan in both her hands, raised it slightly, and again, lowered her head in plea.

"Please!"

Startled at her exaggerated gesture of plea, he prompted her to stop,

"Please! Tatenashi-san, raise your head!"

Her expression brightened quickly though the moment Ichika responded,

"What? So you'll do it?"

Ichika couldn't help but feel uneasy and reluctant to be paired up with someone he barely knew, but he felt responsible.

"Umm...so do you want me to go and ask Kanzashi-san to be my partner?"

"Mmhmm. But please don't mention my name to her, if you can..."

The boy casted her a curious look,

"Why not? Are you not in good terms with her?"

"Well… That's a bit of a complicated subject…"

Ichika noticed that he was prying, and stopped,

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried. I understand. I'll try and approach her as casually as possible."

There was a look of hesitation in Tatenashi's ruby eyes.

"No… I guess you deserve to know a bit of the truth… I am making you a request..."

Both got comfortable in their beds, preparing for a long story…

"Me and Kanzashi-chan… we're not really on bad terms, per se, but for the past recent years; she seemed to avoid me…"

"Avoid you?"

She nodded,

"But she was never like that before… ever since our father passed away, things kind of changed. Including myself…"

He knew he shouldn't push, but just couldn't help but ask,

"What happened?"

"My father was a UN ambassador and he was working abroad. You see… he died during the terrorist attack at the UN building in Russia. Killed."

This time, he remained silent. Because he could see Tatenashi forming a fist with her hands in anger of the reminder.

"Back when I was young, and reckless, I swore vengeance against Phantom Task for killing my father. I worked hard to become strong only for that reason, and ended up applying to become the IS representative of Russia."

She loosened her hands, realizing her emotions flowing astray, and continued,

"And that's where it began. Kanzashi-chan loved our father just as much as I did. Maybe she felt that she needed to do more to avenge him as a sibling, but she was running into walls while I was overcoming them."

Ichika nodded, slightly understanding how Kanzashi would feel.

"It's not like I don't understand how she feels… But she doesn't need to feel pressured to do things because of me… Everyone has their ups and downs…"

For a second, a wistful aura surrounded the girl,

"I just wish I hadn't led her down this path… I shouldn't have said things like vengeance and all that…But now she's stuck, stuck being compared to me, and stuck in this path for revenge…"

"..."

Ichika's gaze hardened, and ran those words through his head,

 _'_ _Yet another tragedy; this time, a broken family. Phantom Task has to be stopped at all cost, to end the suffering of the current victims and to prevent anymore in the future..._ _'_

It seemed like she was done and tried to brighten up,

"Sorry about all that depressing talk."

"No. Thank you for telling me all this. Sharing something so delicate…"

"But I hope now, that you'll be motivated to help out our Kanzashi-chan in the near future, and onwards!" she added.

Ichika nodded with a grin,

"Of course. Leave it to me."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

 **The next day** **…**

"So, Laura. Did you decide who your partner is going to be?" Rin asked.

"Hmph. A foolish question. Who would I ask other than my wife?"

However Cecilia bumped in, with her chest out,

"Not so fast, Laura-san. Kazuki-san is already reserved to be my partner for this tournament."

"Stop it guys! That's up to Kazuki to decide when he comes! We need his input on this matter." Charlotte pointed out.

Cecilia looked at her with suspicious eyes,

"You say that, but you just want Kazuki-san for yourself, don't you?"

"... no…?"

Watching the conversation blaze out of control, Rin decided to help herself and walk out the classroom.

Meanwhile, Houki poked at her childhood friend curiously,

"Speaking of which, Ichika, did you decide who you'll partner with for this tournament? If you're still looking for someone, I wouldn't mind teaming up with you."

"Oh, umm… Sorry. I already had another person in mind."

"Huh? Who?"

"Well..."

He explained in detail about Tatenashi's request, save for her past.

"Hmm… Take care of her sister, huh? Is it just me or does everyone in this academy have siblings?" Houki commented jokingly.

"Anyways, sorry Houki. You'll have to team up with someone else."

"I understand. That's okay. I'll just team up with one of those girls."

"Aren't you teaming up with Kazuki? If I was in your position, I'd want to pair up with Kazuki as well. With him, I'd probably have a much higher chance of winning the tournament..."

Houki grinned understandingly, but shook her head,

"That's true. But it won't be a challenge otherwise though, would it?"

"You have a death wish?" Ichika joked.

Houki waved it off,

"Besides, I've always wanted to fight against Kazuki in a fair fight, so."

"That would be a match to watch. Definitely."

Ichika stood up from his desk and made his way out of the class,

"Well, I'm off to class 4 to ask Sarashiki-san… I'll see you later, Houki."

"Yeah, sure…"

The two went separate ways, however, instead of heading to her kendo club, Houki fell into a deep thought.

 _'_ _Speaking of which_ _…_ _it is still weird... Kazuki still hasn_ _'_ _t returned from his month vacation_ _…_ _And we_ _'_ _re not being told anything about it_ _…_ _Something must have happened to him_ _…'_

She noticed Chifuyu gather her notes to leave, so she quickly walked to the front and grabbed her attention,

"Orimura-sensei!"

The raven-haired teacher turned to her student,

"What is it, Shinonono?"

"I wanted to discuss something important with you. In private."

Chifuyu gazed at her eyes and saw the eager look on her face that told her she wanted to bombard her with questions.

"...follow me to the teachers' lounge…"

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

A cup of green tea was placed on the table in front of Houki, and with her own cup, Chifuyu sat opposite of her with a tired sigh.

"Make this quick. I have a quick errand to run after this."

Houki nodded,

"It's about Kazuki…"

There was no reaction from her instructor, but she kept her ears bright to listen.

"We're all feeling uneasy… It's been about 5 weeks already, and there's no news about Kazuki at all… Something must have happened to him! He might be in some sort of trouble and-"

"I thought I told you girls that he's just away on a vacation. You understand why he isn't allowed to make contact, don't you?"

"I do, but…"

"Just be patient. He'll likely turn up as soon as he can."

Houki didn't understand. It was as if Chifuyu hadn't a care in the world. What bothered her was the fact that she had been repeating the same thing every time she asked.

"Aren't you worried about Kazuki at all, Orimura-sensei?!" she inquired aggressively.

"I have trust in him."

"I'm not saying this because I don't, but don't you think it's weird? The whole terrorism thing died down a long time ago, why wouldn't he come back? He's safer in the academy then out there where the government can hunt for him."

But it was all coming to Houki as she connected everything together. Kazuki's abrupt 'expulsion' from the academy. The cancellation of Rin and Charlotte's withdrawal. The appearance of a Phantom Task member.

"Don't tell me he really got himself expelled to protect those two from withdrawing…"

"I said he'll be back soon." her teacher slightly raised her voice, further growing Houki's suspicion.

To confirm it, Houki took something out of her pocket.

"If you are still willing to insist, then please tell me why…"

Chifuyu furrowed her eyes before she realised what her student was holding in the palm of her hand.

It was Kazuki's black phone.

"...did he leave his phone here?"

With a wistful grin, she flipped opened the phone to reveal her older sister winking at the camera.

"I found out that this phone is Kazuki's only means of contacting my sister."

"..." she couldn't argue back.

"The Kazuki I know wouldn't leave such an important thing. Knowing how much he thinks of her, it's unthinkable for him to just leave it behind…"

For a second, the instructor seemed as if she was in the middle of an internal debate. Then, finally,

"Do you really want to know?"

Surprised, but in relief, Houki violently nodded, eliciting a sigh from her teacher,

"-sigh- Bring Ichika and the girls to this place after school…"

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

A tall armoured figure stood looking down on a military barracks/bunker of some sort situated far from civilization. The mysterious entity adorns an insignia of Phantom Task on one of its shoulders, and its sniper rifle scope glistened under the fierce sunlight.

A deep breath in.

A pause…

…then followed a loud gunshot.

In the next moment, the whole area resounded with sirens and armed men were rushing out from the establishment. The masked figure looked around and saw some IS units flying in formation; in close approach towards its position.

And then, what ensued was chaos and destruction.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

"Hey, did you hear? Another terrorist attack. This time in the US!"

"This is the 4th attack! Just what are they thinking?!"

"What? What's going on?"

"It's Phantom Task again! They attacked a US military bunker."

"The military bunker? Isn't that used as a storage facility for mass-produced IS units?"

"The press were saying that they were trying to steal them."

"Did they succeed?"

"Thankfully, no. It's a good thing they were destroyed…"

While the rest of the students in the cafeteria were discussing away about the most recent events; Ichika and the girls were in their own modest circle, discussing the same topic while enjoying their lunch.

"Phantom Task again, huh… They're growing into a bigger problem."

Laura turned to Charlotte with a concerned look,

"You should be careful too Charlotte. I hear they're targeting IS manufacturing companies as well…"

With a dry smile, she waved it off,

"I'm sure the Dunois corporation will be fine… He'd probably do anything to save his own company."

"That's true… Your father tried to put a bounty on you after all…" Cecilia added.

"But still, they might go after the families of the company too… so." Ichika remembered his own case of kidnapping and advised accordingly.

"Yeah, don't keep your head hanging up in the clouds! You gotta stay alert and keep a good grip on yourself, Charlotte!" Rin nagged.

"Hahaha. Thanks guys." she was grateful everyone was worried for her.

Laura finished the remainder of her food and changed subject,

"Germany, UK, Israel, and now, US. This was their 4th terrorist attack, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. And they're specifically targeting the IS storage facilities and production companies."

"The thing is, that was their only IS unit in the country, and now that they've been destroyed…"

"... those countries are scrambling for allies that still have IS units."

Charlotte played around with her food in her muse,

"They're significantly weaker now without their IS technology. Is this what Phantom Task was aiming for?"

"Who knows… The world is now in a much greater panic than it has ever been. The other countries are all terrified and started hiding their IS units."

"It'll be up to us to stop them when the army fails… They have to be stopped." Ichika trailed off making his resolve.

"Guys!"

Another voice called out to them; the group saw Houki power-walking towards them impatiently.

"Oh, Houki. Where've you been? You missed lunch." Ichika asked.

Cecilia noticed Houki's impatient body language,

"Are you in a hurry, Houki-san? You seem very unsettled."

"I need you guys to come with me to speak to Orimura-sensei." she said.

"Chifuyu-nee? What's wrong?"

"It's about Kazuki."

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

It was like one of those detective shows; Chifuyu was one of the inspectors sitting on the opposite room of a typical interrogation room. On the other side of the one-way window pane, a younger parallel of Chifuyu sat, her hands cuffed behind her back, sitting on a stool with a bored look.

"So her name's M… Must be some kind of a code name within their organization." Houki deduced, sitting next to her teacher, glaring at the girl in the bleak room.

The door to the observation room opened and in came Ichika and the girls, all with puzzled looks.

"Chifuyu-nee? Did Kazuki contact you? What's going on?"

"Come and sit-down you girls…"

The raven-haired instructor stood up, gesturing the girls to sit around next to Houki. Except for Ichika.

"Not you. I need you to go through that door over there where the girl is sitting."

"Huh?! You want me to be in the same room as the person that tried to kill us?"

But she quickly snapped her brother out of it,

"This isn't the time, Ichika. She won't harm you. She just wanted to talk. That's what was agreed upon."

Charlotte didn't like where this was all going, and couldn't hold back the urge to ask,

"Orimura-sensei, just what's going on? What does Phantom Task want with Ichika?"

"…"

The gang twisted their heads in confusion when they were left in suspense. But they didn't have to wait long.

"…she knows where he is."

"He?"

"She'll tell us where he is. Where Satoshi is."

Chifuyu turned towards them to see how they'd react, and unsurprisingly, they seemed puzzled.

"What do you mean, sensei? Kazuki was sent on a vacation…" Charlotte asked innocently.

"I don't understand, instructor… what's this girl have to do with Kazuki?" Laura added inquisitively.

Cecilia nodded in agreement, "That's right! That girl is from Phantom Task! Why would she-"

"It's that precise reason why she would know where Kazuki is…" Houki interjected bitterly.

The gang flinched in shock at the revelation.

"W-What are you trying to say? You're making it sound like Kazuki is one of them!" Rin scolded angrily.

"She's right, Houki… This isn't the time to be making jokes like that…" Charlotte didn't seem all that appreciative for the fact that Houki didn't have much faith in her friend.

But Laura decided to be vocal about it as she couldn't stand Houki's distrust, "Why don't you have some faith in him? You seem quick to assume that he'd join a terrorist group. And you call yourself his friend?"

"Hey, now, take it easy! I'm sure she has her reasons to think like that." Ichika tried to ease the rising tension, but with no avail.

Getting irritated herself, Houki slammed Kazuki's black phone onto the table for them to all see.

"His phone was left in his room before he disappeared. This phone was Kazuki's only method of contacting my sister! There's no way he would leave such a thing behind!"

"You're not making any sense. What does your sister even have to do with Kazuki? Sure, we've seen them get along during the Silver Gospel incident, but that doesn't explain anything."

At this moment, both Houki and Charlotte were struck with silence, and fell into a muse. But their minds were running in completely different directions.

 _'_ _That's right… they don't know how much Kazuki thinks of Nee-san…'_

 _'_ _They weren't told anything about him being a victim of the Apeiron Project… Since I'm the only one who found out… Professor Tabane most likely fitted him with the IS core… that's why…'_

Seeing Charlotte and Houki struggle to speak up; Chifuyu stepped in,

"There's more to it than that, Laura. This goes for the rest of you too. There are many things you didn't know about Satoshi. But you'll soon find out…"

Their teacher then turned to Ichika and gestured him to make his way to the interrogation room,

"C'mon, Ichika. She's waiting for you."

"A-Alright…"

Slightly nervous, Ichika left the observation room, and made his way into the room the Phantom Task member was isolated in.

The door softly whooshed open, and an air of cool air welcomed him, along with a cold glare from the young girl.

"Orimura Ichika. We meet again. It's nice to see you're doing so well." She spoke low; there were repressed emotions in her tone, and Ichika could tell, funnily enough.

"…" he found it hard to reply with the underlying sarcasm in her voice.

"Tell me. How does it feel? To go to school. Make friends. Lead a care free life. Is it fun? Do you enjoy it?"

"…What do you want from me?" he asked carefully.

 **...**

 **"…** **What do you want from me?"**

 **"** **I don't want anything from YOU, personally."**

Chifuyu and the girls could hear their conversation broadcasted to the room they were in, loud and clear.

"Just who is she, Orimura-sensei?" Rin asked, the striking resemblance of the Phantom Task member to Chifuyu bothering her to no end.

"She looks awfully like you…" Houki added, but she disregarded the thought that immediately came to mind. It would be simply ridiculous.

There was no uneasiness in her voice; nor did she seem troubled to say it,

"Of course she'd look a lot like me…"

There was a short pause, and then…

"Because she's my little sister."

The girls all turned to her in shock, especially Houki.

"Her name is Madoka. Orimura Madoka…"

"What? But sensei, Ichika never had another sister! At least during the time I knew him…" Houki claimed, to which Rin agreed,

"That's right! He never mentioned having another sister…"

Ichika and Madoka's conversation brought the group's attention back,

 **"…** **You told me that you were me… that your name is Orimura Madoka… Just who are you?"**

 **"** **The meaning is exactly as it is laid out. I am your blood related sister."**

As the group expected, there was a flabbergasted look on Ichika's face, and he seemed more confused than surprised.

 **"** **That's impossible! You're lying. I spent my whole life with Chifuyu-nee, and she never mentioned you. I've never seen you in my life either."**

 **"** **Spent your whole life? Are you sure about that?"**

 **"** **W-What do you mean?"**

 **"** **Try to recall your childhood. What were you like as a child? What kind of friends did you meet?"**

Houki knew where she was going with this. And as she expected, there was a blank look on Ichika's face until he snapped out with an incredulous look on his face.

 **"** **I-I… can't remember…"**

"What? How can he not remember anything from his childhood? Maybe not from when he was just a newborn, but he should still be able to remember something." Charlotte seemed just as much confused as Ichika.

"What's going on…? I cannot keep up." Cecilia admitted, wrapping her head around the whole situation.

"Ever since he was born, he had this condition of blanking out whenever he tries to recollect his early childhood. But there is a reason why that happens…" Chifuyu allowed their conversation to continue.

 **"** **You must have been told that it was nothing important. But do you know why that happens? It occurs when there's a critical error during the maturation cycle of a foetus in a non-biological environment."**

Laura's mind flashed as a dreadful thought crossed her mind,

"Could it be…?!"

 **"…** **In other words. You're an abomination. A copy. A mere replication farmed in a lab test tube."**

There were collective gasps all around the room.

"A-A test tube baby? Ichika is?"

"Like Laura?!"

"T-This is… How could this be…?"

Chifuyu closed her eyes; it had been said. What she had kept from Ichika, was now revealed to him in a span of a few minutes.

 **…**

All colours drained from Ichika's expression. Normally, he would heed none of what she had to say; as far as he knew, it could all be a ploy to play with his mind and break him. But in this current situation, there was no need for Madoka to do that as she was being kept locked up as a war criminal, and everything she was saying was making sense.

It all connected; his weird blanking-out symptom, Chifuyu's usual attitude towards talking about the family.

No matter how many times he tried to deny it, the pieces were all falling into place.

What's more, Chifuyu hadn't said anything through the microphone.

"A-Are you saying… I-I'm a test tube baby?"

There was a satisfied grin on Madoka's face; it was just the reaction she was anticipating.

"That's right… You robbed me of my life, a disgusting lab experiment. Did you really think you were that woman's little brother?"

The words pierced him like harpoons. He shakily turned to his sister on the other side of the one-way window.

"It's a lie isn't it, Chifuyu-nee? Tell me she's lying…"

Chifuyu's voice played across the room,

 **"…** **Ichika. I've always kept the truth from you ever since we were together, and took care of you like my own brother. Now that you've grown into a fine young man, I thought it was the time I tell you the truth."**

Ichika's eyes looked lost, and the girls could see it.

"W-What are you saying, Chifuyu-nee…? Stop joking around like that…"

Something clicked in Ichika's mind, and he remembered something,

"That's right! Our parents! We had our parents! You told me about them!"

 **"** **Our parents… I told you they abandoned us… but…"**

A chuckle from Madoka brought Ichika's attention back onto her,

"Abandon us? That's laughable. They weren't our parents. They weren't humans for that matter."

 **"…"**

It seemed like his older sister had fallen silent.

Madoka continued,

"Our parents didn't abandon us. No, no, no. They tried to sell us away to a sick human experiment institution."

 **-Flashback-**

 _"_ _Mom I'm home!"_

 _A happy young girl hopped through the front door with a single piece of paper in her hands. It was a spelling test, marked with a large letter 'A'._

 _"_ _Look! I got an A on my spelling test!"_

 _There didn't seem to be anyone in the living room._

 _"_ _Onee-chan*! Are you home?" she called out for her sister, but she didn't seem to be around either (Onee-chan: older sister in Japanese lingo)._

 _There were noises coming from the kitchen, she could hear the voice of her mother,_

 _"…_ _I see… I understand…"_

 _With a large grin on her face, she trotted her way into the kitchen. She opened the door with a proud smile,_

 _"_ _Look, Mom! I got a perfect score on my test today!"_

 _The girl noticed her father standing just next to her with an unreadable expression._

 _"_ _Oh, dad! You're home early! Look what I got!"_

 _She swung her test paper like a flag to show off. But it took her awhile to notice the unfamiliar men on the other side of the room, all in business suits._

 _"_ _Umm, dad? Are they your friends?"_

 _He didn't respond. So one of the suited men continued,_

 _"_ _As I was saying… We have confirmed your consent and the full payment will reach your bank accounts by tomorrow. Thank you very much for your co-operation."_

 _"_ _Mom? Dad? What does 'consent' mean? They're scaring me…"_

 _Again, there were no answers._

 _"_ _Mom, Dad! What's wrong?! Why don't you say anything?"_

 _The suited men shifted towards her and took her by the arms._

 _"_ _Ou! Don't touch me! What are you doing?! Dad, help me!"_

 _Her strength was no match for the group of full grown men, and her cry of plea wasn't getting through to her parents._

 _"_ _Where're they taking me?! I'm scared, mom!" She sobbed, but she had to get out. Violently shaking, punching and kicking with what little strength she had; she was smart enough to know it was hopeless!_

 _"_ _Let! Go! Of! Me! Let go!" she whimpered the last phrase, tears starting to brim up._

 _The piece of paper in her hands fell onto the floor, and the men stepped over the 'A', leaving dirty shoe marks. But that was the least of her worries._

 _Being carried off the men's shoulder, she watched as the sight of her uncaring parents begin to minimise._

 _"_ _Mom… Dad…"_

 _Suddenly, the front door opened,_

 _"_ _I'm home… What the…"_

 _The girl couldn't see, but it was her sister's voice._

 _The little girl cried with all her soul and begged,_

 _"_ _Onee-chan! Help me! Don't let them take me away!"_

 _Being just back from her kendo activity, the older sister had her real katana strapped to her back. She carefully reached for it._

 _"_ _She's got a weapon! Shoot her!"_

 _They quickly reached for their weapons, but the teen had her sword drawn by then._

 ** _Bang! Bang! Bang!_**

 _Then it all happened in an instant._

 _There Madoka sat on the floor, her eyes wide in terror as blood painted the white canvas walls, and the corpses lithering the ground. Her hands reached for the unmoving body of her parents just a few feet from her._

 _"_ _Don't touch them, Madoka."_

 _Her shaky hands flinched and immediately stopped._

 _"_ _Onee-chan… Mom and dad… they're…"_

 _"_ _They're not our mom and dad. They're monsters."_

 _Young Chifuyu knelt and placed a hand on her little sister's head comfortingly._

 _"_ _Don't trust anyone else… We only have each other from now on… Don't worry. I'll protect you, no matter what it takes. You're my only little sister."_

 **-End of Flashback-**

A look of pity crossed Ichika's expression,

"Chifuyu-nee… she…"

"She killed our parents and took me away. Somewhere far away where no one would find us both."

 **…**

"I didn't think there was such a story behind Ichika-san's past… I could never have imagined…" Cecilia shook her head in grievance.

"But where did Ichika actually come from? Was he born for battling purposes? Similar to the Apeiron Project?" Laura probed.

"I don't know if his birth was related to the Apeiron project, but we found him in a capsule in a laboratory near where we lived. When we got there, the place was abandoned, and all the relevant data were wiped clean."

Chifuyu then tossed a folder filled with paper detailing Ichika and Chifuyu's genetic concordance,

"But what we did find out was that Ichika was 'made' completely from my DNA and it was made sure that the result was a boy." She commented.

"That awfully sounds like what the Apeiron Project was trying to do… Creating the most powerful male in the world…" Charlotte pointed out carefully.

Houki nodded in comprehension,

"It wouldn't be a surprise to use the DNA of the to-be-IS-champion of the world to make the most powerful male."

 **"** **Can't you see? You weren't meant to be born!**

Madoka's angry growl brought the group out of their own train of thoughts.

 **"** **If only you didn't exist! I would be sitting where you are now! I could've attended the academy and lead a normal life! But you… YOU!"**

"What's with her?" Rin crossed her arms in annoyance. It didn't seem to sit well with her the fact that Ichika's existence was being questioned like that.

"He is her brother, isn't he? Why the grudge?"

"Because I disowned her." Chifuyu said strictly.

"Disown her?"

"When we first found Ichika, Madoka tried to kill him."

"Why?!" Houki shouted angrily.

"She thought he was an abomination. She believed he'd grow up to be just like the monster that was our father."

The older woman sighed,

"She, eventually, crossed the line and I told her to never show her face around me or Ichika ever again. That's when we were separated, and that's where her grudge against me and Ichika originates."

A melancholic expressed flashed by her face,

"If I didn't disown her back then, then maybe she could have led a much better life. With you girls."

 **"** **I-I'm sorry…"**

Ichika's apology hit everyone deep. There was nothing he needed to apologize for, and yet it was hard to put it all on Madoka to take the blame.

This time, Madoka's voice shook, even more enraged than before.

 **"** **That's not all. Because of you… Because of you!"**

The anger was so great, she was suffocating in her own screams.

 **"** **That man had to go through all that torture. All because you had to exist."**

 **"** **That man?"**

 **"** **The man who taught me all about the IS, the only man who understood my suffering, and took care of me like his own sister…"**

They could see Madoka send Ichika a hateful glare,

 **"** **And now, that man is dead…"**

 **"** **I don't understand! What did I do?! Then tell me!"** it was only natural for Ichika to be frustrated. There were so much things he didn't understand.

Laura turned to her instructor curiously,

"Instructor, do you, by any chance, know who this 'man' is?"

She shook her head.

Madoka ignored and mumbled to herself, **"It wasn't supposed to be him… It's not fair… It was never meant to be him…"**

She continued with a rant,

 **"** **You were supposed to be the one to suffer in the Apeiron Project, and yet he…"**

The girl noticed that she had spoken too much and cut herself off.

 **"** **What?! Tell me! What happened?! Who is that man?!"**

Madoka leaned back on her chair, and her gesture suggested that she wasn't going to tell him anymore.

 **"** **I've got nothing else to say to you. Just be aware that your life was made by stepping on someone else's."**

Seeing that Madoka really was not going to say another word to him, Ichika stood up from his seat and stormed out of the room.

"Ichika!"

Houki jumped up from her seat and left the room, running after him. The other girls all followed her out with equal looks of concern.

With just Chifuyu left in the observation room, Madoka spoke in a serious tone.

 **"** **None of you will ever understand what that man went through for you and that abomination."**

"... I don't know what he did to get you so infatuated, but what he did doesn't matter to me in the slightest."

She shifted in her seat impatiently,

"Enough nonsense. You got what you wanted. Now where is Kazuki?"

 **"** **It's too late to convince him. He doesn't want to see any of you."**

"You're not the one to decide that."

 **"** **Indeed, I'm not. Maybe he'll tell you that directly if you ever get to see him." she chuckled.**

"Where is he?!" Having enough of her attitude, she raised her voice threateningly.

Madoka turned to the one-way mirror with an evil grin,

 **"** **I think you already know the answer to that question. Why would you be asking me then?"**

For reasons Chifuyu didn't understand herself, she didn't seem surprised,

"I just needed to make sure. That he wasn't blackmailed into doing it…"

Then again, she remembered the look on the blond's face just as he was leaving the academy. The sad, yet determined blue eyes remained etched onto the back of her mind.

Now it was clear to her. Kazuki had really joined hands with Phantom Task. He was now an enemy of the academy and the rest of the world.

 ** _Infinite Stratos_**

Today, unlike usual, it was raining. The young boy leaning against the roof railings didn't seem to notice, or simply lacked any care.

Ichika usually didn't like the rain; it forced people to stay inside, nobody liked geting their clothes wet, and it never helped to revitalize the mood.

But just this time… the rain felt nice. The cold droplets splashed againsts his face and drooled nicely down the side of his face. It was as if the world was consoling him.

"If you stay out here without an umbrella, you'll catch a cold."

An umbrella loomed over his head, and noticed Houki tilting her umbrella over her friend's head, not minding her shoulder getting wet.

"Houki…"

He quickly turned away almost shamefully,

"...You must think I'm a horrible person…"

The other girls all stood just a few steps from the two, watching the scene quietly.

"If what she was saying is true… then it's as she said… I… robbed her of her life…"

Ichika looked up at everyone,

"Everyone I've ever met; they weren't supposed to ever know me. She was supposed to be your friends…"

He continued, tears threatening to fall,

"Everything I've known from the beginning, they were all a lie! How can I- Ou, Ouch!"

Houki pulled on the boys cheek,

"That's not true."

"Huh?"

His childhood friend gave him a warm smile; the other girls did the same,

"All the things we've done together, ever since I met you at the dojo when we were kids; ever since you met us in the academy; they were all real. And it was YOU, Ichika, who we enjoyed being with, not anyone else."

It was simple, but a wave of realisation overcame him and the boys eyes widened. She was right. Why was it so difficult to understand?

He may not have known what life was like before Chifuyu had supposedly found him, but he still retained the precious memories of him and his friends. And that was really all that mattered.

Laura stepped forward and assured,

"It doesn't matter how or why you were born. All that matters is that you're here. Kazuki would've said the same thing."

"You're right… -chuckle- I was getting emotional for nothing. Sorry… we were going to find out what that girl knew about Kazuki… I ended up becoming a nuisance."

Houki shook her head, much to his and the others' surprise,

"It doesn't matter!"

"What's wrong Houki? Didn't you want to find out?"

Houki turned to the clearing sky and a beam of sunlight fell on her smiling face,

"...because I decided to believe in him."

"Houki-san…" Cecilia seemed very touched, since Houki didn't say thing like this often.

"Oh, you make me blush, Houki! Who would've thought you'd say something like that!" Rin laughed.

"Wait 'till he hears what you said!" she added.

Houki's face instantly flushed red and flailed her arms at, essentially, the air.

"N-No, no, no! I take that back! No, you never heard anything!"

Charlotte sneakily took out her phone teasingly,

"I got it recorded~"

Ichika couldn't help but laugh out loud warmly at the antics, and like some kind of contagious disease, everyone began laughing as well.

This was his place. Truth or not, it didn't change the fact that this was where he belonged.


End file.
